76ers at Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks pulled off a historic comeback on Friday and continue to take the steps they hope will lead them to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Philadelphia 76ers, who visit the Bucks on Sunday, are trying to prove they're on the same level while going after the No. 3 spot in the East.
Milwaukee found itself down by 18 after the first quarter and 20 at the half on Friday at the Miami Heat before exploding after the break and earning a 113-98 victory. "It doesn’t matter if we're down 20, 15, 10, we're going to keep playing hard and it's a process," Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo told reporters. "You've got to win games like this, you've got to face adversity while playing on the road because in the playoffs it's not going to be easy. We want to be a great team and that's why we're going to keep playing hard every night and every time we go out there and have a chance to play a ball game we'll always play hard." Philadelphia hopped into the No. 3 spot on Friday after fending off the Sacramento Kings 123-114 but is trying not to focus on playoff seeding. "One, playing at home is priceless," 76ers coach Brett Brown told reporters. "Two, trying to preconceive who does that equal - you are going to play so-and-so or you are going to play somebody else. You don't really know that. So, to overthink we have to get to third in my opinion is a mistake."
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
ABOUT THE 76ERS (44-25): Shooting guard Jimmy Butler collected 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting, seven assists, six rebounds and a pair of steals in Friday's win. "I think everyone was comfortable," Butler told reporters. "We realize how important each and every single one of these games is down the stretch. It's time to take it up a notch or two." All-Star center Joel Embiid continues to show no rust from his extended time off after the break and recorded his third double-double in as many games since returning with 21 points and 17 rebounds against Sacramento.
ABOUT THE BUCKS (52-17): Milwaukee won for the first time in franchise history when trailing by 20 or more points at the half on the road as Antetokounmpo fueled the rally and finished with 33 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists. Fellow All-Star Khris Middleton added 21 points and eight assists and the Bucks outscored Miami 71-36 after the half. "It was a terrible first half," Middleton told reporters. "(Coach Mike Budenholzer) came in here and didn't yell at us but he got his point across. We weren't putting our bodies on them, making them play, just everything was too easy for them. In the second half, we tried to be a little bit more aggressive. ... It worked."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. 76ers C Boban Marjanovic is shooting 70 percent from the floor in nine games with the team.
2. Bucks PG Malcolm Brogdon (heel soreness) left Friday's game and is day-to-day.
3. The teams are meeting for the first time since Oct. 24, when Milwaukee brushed aside Philadelphia 123-108 at home.