Skip to content

Charlotte Hornets (9-19) at Milwaukee Bucks (14-14), 8 p.m. (ET)

(SportsNetwork.com) - The Milwaukee Bucks return home after a decent road trip Tuesday night to take on the Charlotte Hornets at the Bradley Center.

Milwaukee went 2-2 in a western swing with wins against the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings. The Bucks fell to the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers.

On the trip, the Bucks lost prize rookie Jabari Parker for the season after he tore his ACL versus the Suns.

On Saturday, the Bucks fell to the Clippers, 106-102.

Giannis Antetokounmpo tallied 18 points, nine boards and six helpers for Milwaukee. Jared Dudley and Jerryd Bayless each had 16, followed by 12 from Khris Middleton and 10 apiece from Larry Sanders and Kendall Marshall.

Brandon Knight tied the game for Milwaukee at 102-102 with 1:29 remaining before two Chris Paul foul shots put the Clippers back in front with 1:12 to play.

Knight was off the mark on a 3-point attempt and then on a two-point jumper following a Dudley offensive rebound. Paul took the clock down at the other end, but misfired on a right elbow jumper. Blake Griffin, though, was there to tip it in with five seconds left to seal the outcome.

"At the end we couldn't convert," Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. "On the defensive end we gave up offensive rebounds."

The Hornets are riding a three-game winning streak into Tuesday's contest. They won at Philadelphia, then completed a two-game home sweep of the Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets.

On Tuesday, Charlotte ambushed the Nuggets, 110-82.

Al Jefferson scored 22 points to lead the Hornets. Jefferson was joined by four other Hornets in double figures, including Kemba Walker with 18 and nine assists. P.J. Hairston added 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Gary Neal added 13 off the bench and Cody Zeller chipped in 10 points.

The Hornets never trailed in their third straight win. Charlotte led by 10 after the first quarter, 18 at the half and 27 after three quarters.

The Hornets shot 53.8 percent from the floor and 42.1 percent from long range. Denver only shot 37.8 percent from the field and 2-for-18 from behind the 3- point line.

"It started on the defensive end," said Jefferson. "That's a great offensive rebounding team, and I thought we controlled the boards."

The Hornets out-rebounded the Nuggets, 44-37.

Charlotte's Lance Stephenson missed his third game with a pelvic sprain.

The Hornets beat the Bucks in Charlotte in overtime back on Oct. 29. Charlotte has won six straight in this series and two in a row as the visitor.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox