Detroit ‘s Cade Cunningham is defended by Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo in the second half Tuesday at Detroit. Carlos Osorio/Associated Press
DETROIT — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 28 points, nine assists and eight rebounds as the Milwaukee Bucks routed the Detroit Pistons 117-89 on Tuesday.
The Bucks, who ended a three-game losing streak, also got 16 points from Pat Connaughton and reserve Jordan Nwora.
Jerami Grant led the Pistons (1-6) with 21 points, but Trey Lyles was the only other player to reach double figures with 13.
Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 pick in this summer’s draft, went 2 for 14 in his second NBA game, including 0 of 9 from behind the 3-point line. He is shooting 13.6% (3 of 22) thus far and has missed all 14 3-point attempts.
The Pistons stayed close early, only trailing 36-31 in the second quarter, but they couldn’t score consistently against Milwaukee’s defense. The Bucks finished the half with a 21-8 run to take a 57-39 lead.
Antetokounmpo, who played only 27 minutes total, had 12 points and seven rebounds in the first half. Grant had 14 points in the half, including 3 3-pointers, but his teammates went 2 for 19 from behind the arc.
The Bucks expanded their lead to 29 points in the third quarter and cruised to the easy win.
HEAT 125, MAVERICKS 110: Four players had 22 or more points as visiting Miami held off Dallas.
Tyler Herro scored 25 points off the bench, 15 alone in the second quarter when the Heat outscored the Mavericks 46-32 to take a 70-62 halftime lead. Jimmy Butler added 23 points, Kyle Lowry had 22 and Bam Adebayo scored 22 and grabbed 13 rebounds.
Luka Doncic scored a season-high 33 points for the Mavericks, who lost for the first time in four home games.
NOTES
WARRIORS: Klay Thompson is still a ways off from making his return to the court, but the Warriors are already getting an emotional lift from the thought of adding their beloved shooting star to the mix.
“I think Klay’s imminent return is a huge factor for our team. There’s a sense of anticipation and energy that is directly linked to Klay’s return,” Coach Steve Kerr said. “There’s just a very good sense of who we are and what’s ahead, and I think everybody’s excited about it.”
The Warriors have won five of their first six games, despite two big missing pieces that will fit into the puzzle as the season progresses.
Thompson, who has missed back-to-back seasons with tears in his left ACL then his right Achilles, continues to make “incremental” progress in his recovery, Kerr said. .
It has been nearly a year since Thompson underwent surgery on his right Achilles, Nov. 25, 2020.
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