Spurs' season-best 3-point shooting does in Bucks, 126-104

Kwn as a mid-range shooting team for past few seasons, Spurs are starting to comprehend why San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich has implored m to shoot more 3-pointers. DeMar DeRozan h 25 points and San Antonio Spurs h a season-high 19 3-pointers to beat Milwaukee 126-104 on Monday night, snapping Bucks five-game winning streak.

“It’s big, confidence building,” DeRozan said. “Letting us kw we could compete with best teams in this league.”

San Antonio finished 19 for 35 on 3-pointers in handing Milwaukee it’s largest defeat of season.

Patty Mills ded 21 points, including 6 for 10 on 3-pointers. LaMarcus Aldridge and Rudy Gay ded 18 points each, going a combined 4 for 5 on 3-pointers.

Giannis Antetokounmpo h 24 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists for Milwaukee and Donte DiVincenzo ded 16 points.

Four games after setting a season-high with 18 3-pointers against Detroit, Spurs bested that mark when Gay hit team’s 19th against Milwaukee.

Aldridge has keyed that run, going 16 for 23 on 3-pointers in his last five games.

“With LaMarcus joining us on 3-point line and having ability to kck m down, it does wonder in terms of spacing,” Mills said.

Aldridge has shot so well on 3s that Bucks almost overlooked DeRozan’s mid-range game.

“We have a ton of respect for (DeRozan),” Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer said. “I think way Aldridge has been shooting 3-point shot over last five, six, seven games, a lot of talks was about, ‘Could we reduce those.’ He h a huge first quarter, first half on Saturday. I don’t want to say live with DeRozan’s 2s, but to some degree (we did), but I still think it’s 3-point line where y beat us.”

Bucks, whose last loss was Dec. 25 at Philelphia, maintain league’s best record at 32-6.

Popovich somewhat agreed when asked if this was Spurs’ most complete game of season.

“It’d be hard to argue against that, I think,” he said. “ physicality was good. We started out third quarter a little poorly as we have, going to try to figure that out, but I thought we were more consistent tonight in our physicality and executing game plan, we were more consistent. It was a good night.”

Milwaukee defeated San Antonio 127-118 on Saturday at home but could t maintain its early momentum in a rare home-and-home, back-to-back games.

Milwaukee opened game with three straight 3-pointers but San Antonio went on a 13-4 run in taking its first le at 15-13. DeRozan blocked Antetokounmpo layup during run, tying up 6-foot-11 forward as he drove through lane and forcing a jump ball.

Seven players would score in first quarter for San Antonio, including nine by DeRozan.

Spurs followed that up with 38 points in second quarter, ir highest total in that quarter all season and third-highest in any quarter.

San Antonio was 12 for 20 on 3-pointers in first half in building an 18-point le and tying a franchise record for most 3s in any half.

TIP-INS

Bucks: Milwaukee G Pat Connaughton missed game with a bruised right thigh. Connaughton h five points and four rebounds in 18 minutes Saturday against Spurs. … DiVincenzo reached double figures for 16th time this season but first since scoring 10 against Atlanta on Dec. 27 … Bucks trail ir all-time series with Spurs, 41-50, but h won five of previous six meetings after losing nine straight to San Antonio.

Spurs: Aldridge has 7,781 career field goals, surpassing former Spurs teammate Tony Parker for 43rd in league history … Murray joined Alvin Roberts and Willie Anderson as only players in franchise history with 1,000 points, 600 rebounds and 400 assists in ir first 150 career games. … San Antonio also me 12 3-pointers in first half at Charlotte on Dec. 8, 2012.

MOMENTUM KILLER

Popovich’s timing on calling timeouts has drawn Antetokounmpo’s respect, but t his appreciation.

“He drives me crazy. He drives me crazy,” Antetokounmpo said. “Whenever you try to get momentum, you kck down a 3, n you get a steal, get a dunk or something, he just calls a timeout and momentum blows away. But (it’s) smart. That’s how y do it in Europe (and) that’s what he does. He definitely helps his team.”