Giannis Antetokounmpo is and will always be the life insurance policy of the Milwaukee Bucks. What is new is that the superstar not only scored the points to win against the Charlotte Hornets, but also prepared them in advance on the tactics board. Meanwhile, Mata Buzelis shook the United Center.
| Home | Away | Result |
| New York Knicks | Atlanta Hawks | 99:111 |
| Indiana Pacers | San Antonio Spurs | 113:123 |
| Washington Wizards | Brooklyn Nets | 119:99 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | Denver Nuggets | 108:113 |
| Chicago Bulls | Orlando Magic | 121:114 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | Charlotte Hornets | 122:121 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | Portland Trail Blazers | 109:122 |
| Golden State Warriors | Oklahoma City Thunder | 94:131 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Memphis Grizzlies | 128:121 |
Scene of the night: Giannis with an alley-oop for the win
The Milwaukee Bucks (15-20) celebrated a late 122:121 home win over the Charlotte Hornets (11-23) thanks to co-production from Kevin Porter Jr. (10 points, 10 assists) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (30, 10 rebounds, 5 assists). From a throw-in situation and a 120:121 deficit on the jumbotron, Antetokounmpo and Porter played a perfect move that the superstar himself had previously shown on the coaching board.
Point guard Porter played perfect preparatory work, allowing the Bucks to celebrate their third win in the fourth game since Antetokounmpo returned from a calf injury. Brandon Miller’s last attempt at another turnaround, which would have been the fourth in the last 10.5 seconds, missed the mark.
Record of the night: Antetokounmpo passes legends
With the next gala performance, Giannis has meandered past prominent trailblazers and is now in first place for the most games with at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in league history. Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had previously held the place in the sun with 157 each. As of Friday, Antetokounmpo ranks first in that regard with 158 games played.
| player | Number |
| 1. Giannis Antetokounmpo | 158 |
| 2. Kareem Abdul Jabbar | 157 |
| T-2 Oscar Robertson | 157 |
| 3. Wilt Chamberlain | 149 |
| 4. LeBron James | 135 |
| 5. Nikola Jokic | 124 |
Rookie of the night: Kon Knueppel
Kon Knueppel is still at the very beginning in this regard with the Charlotte Hornets. However, the number 4 pick continues to work on a foundation to find himself in such areas in the future. Knueppel was the guests’ best scorer with 26 points, shot 9/16 from the field and 3/8 from the three-point line, collected 4 rebounds and distributed 3 assists with 3 turnovers.
It was his ninth straight game in which he broke the 15-point mark, making him the longest streak by a Hornets rookie since Alonzo Mourning’s 16 games in 1993. He was recently named NBA Rookie of the Month for his performance in December.
Poster of the Night: Buzelis punches over Suggs
The Chicago Bulls (17-17) were able to leave the field as winners against the Orlando Magic (19-16) with 121:114, not least thanks to 17 points from Matas Buzelis (21 in total) in the second half. However, the Bulls’ youngster put the two most spectacular points on the scoreboard in the first half.
On the fast break he made a big run towards the basket, with Jalen Suggs on the Magic side trying to prevent the score. However, the Magic guard didn’t have a chance and found himself on the bitter end of a one-handed slam from the Lithuanian.
Unlucky person of the night: Suggs injured again
The shocking moments never end for the Magic this season. After Paolo Banchero’s temporary loss and Franz Wagner’s current ankle injury, Florida has to worry about Suggs again. As if the poster dunk wasn’t bad enough, the point guard injured his right knee on a drive to the basket in the third quarter.
It was just his second game back after suffering a hip injury in the NBA Cup. The Magic spoke of a hyperextended knee. The franchise has not yet provided any further information.
German Ballin’: Hukporti convinces in Knicks bankruptcy
Although his New York Knicks (23-11) were held under 100 points by the Atlanta Hawks (17-19) for the first time this season in a 99-111 loss, Ariel Hukporti had a strong day at work. Without the sick Karl-Anthony Towns and the rested Mitchell Robinson, the German center was in the starting five.
In 28 minutes on the field, he recorded a career-high 17 boards and also contributed 8 points, 4 assists, 1 steal and 4 blocks to the hosts’ game. However, that didn’t change anything about New York’s third home defeat of the current season. Jalen Johnson played a big part in this, posting his seventh triple-double for the Hawks this season with 18 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.
On the west coast, Dennis Schröder and the Sacramento Kings (8-27) had to swallow a 102:129 defeat against their division rivals in the person of the Phoenix Suns (20-14). Schröder was on the floor for 24 minutes. He has 12 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists in his box score. Devin Booker was unstoppable for the Kings with 33 points for the Suns.
In the last game of the night, Maxi Kleber had to be content with a spectator role in the 128:121 victory of his Los Angeles Lakers (21-11) over the Memphis Grizzlies (15-19). The German big was not used.
Voices of the night:
Mike Brown (Head Coach, New York Knicks) comments on the boos in New York: “I was booing myself inside – inside I was like, ‘Boo, Mike, you stink.’ So they have the right to boo me.”
Kevin Porter Jr (Milwaukee Bucks): “I’ve been in a situation like this before – I think about a month and a half ago. I was at the elbow, playing one-on-one with Miles Bridges, and I took a throw. And as I was throwing, I looked to my left; there was a teammate standing free in the corner, and I thought to myself, ‘Why didn’t I go into the dribble handoff and just let the play continue?’ Long story short: We won this game in overtime.”