MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 26 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, Jrue Holiday scored 29 points and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 115-102 on Friday night to improve to 8-0, the best start to a season in franchise history.
Bobby Portis Jr. added 18 points off the bench for the Bucks, the NBA’s only undefeated team. Milwaukee started 7-0 in both 2018-19 and 1971-72.
Minnesota has dropped three straight to fall to 4-5. Anthony Edwards paced the Wolves with 24 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 22 points and 11 rebounds.
The Timberwolves couldn’t overcome a 22-point third-quarter deficit. Minnesota cut Milwaukee’s lead to eight at 97-89 on Naz Reid's transition dunk in the fourth quarter after Reid blocked Antetokounmpo at the other end.
Antetokounmpo came alive after that. He threw down a thunderous dunk, and later hit a 3 from the top of the key that pushed Milwaukee’s advantage back to 13. Two possessions later, including a finger roll by Antetokounmpo, the Bucks led 108-91.
His triple-double was his first this season and 30th of the two-time MVP's career.
Plenty of Bucks fans were in attendance at Target Center for Friday’s border battle, with many sporting Antetokounmpo’s No. 34 jersey. At one point, a “Bobby!” chant erupted for Portis. He hit a corner 3-pointer to stop a brief Wolves threat late in the third quarter, and connected from nearly the same spot with just over a minute to go in the third.
Timberwolves fans found multiple occasions to boo the home team after Minnesota fell behind big in the second half. Those same fans came to life briefly in the third when Jalen Nowel's layup capped a 10-0 Wolves run.
Holiday led the way in the first half, scoring 16 points to lift the Bucks to a 61-54 halftime lead.
Milwaukee extended its lead to 18 midway through the third quarter thanks to a 17-6 run that included five points from Holiday to open the second half.
The Wolves turned the ball over 16 times, which turned into 22 Bucks points. Jaden McDaniels committed four of Minnesota’s 12 turnovers.
D'Angelo Russell shot 3 of 15 for Minnesota, including 2 of 8 from deep.
TIP-INS
Bucks: Rookie guard MarJon Beauchamp, playing in his fifth NBA game, hit a pair of 3-pointers in the first half. He had made just two field goals all season prior to Friday night. Beauchamp finished with a career-high 14 points off the bench.
Timberwolves: Edwards and Gobert were listed as questionable due to illness, but both started. ... Gobert airballed his second 3-point shot attempt of the year. ... Towns fouled out with 1:54 remaining in the game.
UP NEXT
Bucks: Host Oklahoma City on Saturday night.
Timberwolves: Host Houston on Saturday night.
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