Milwaukee Bucks Record 23rd Win as They Pile More Misery on Woeful Orlando Magic

(Photo : Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks makes a basket against the Boston Celtics in the second half at Fiserv Forum on December 25, 2021 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The Milwaukee Bucks extended their winning streak to four games on Tuesday night with a resounding 127-110 victory over the Orlando Magic. Five players scored in double-figures for the surging Bucks, who moved to within two games of leaders Brooklyn Nets in the Eastern Conference standings.

Giannis Antetokounmpo leads Bucks' balanced attack

Giannis Antetokounmpo led all Bucks scorers with 28 points on 10-of-19 shooting from the field. He also had six rebounds, six assists, and one block in 30 minutes of action. Khris Middleton was Milwaukee's next leading scorer with 21 points as he torched the Magic with a high 57 percent shooting clip.

Bobby Portis and Jrue Holiday were the other starters to score in double digits for Milwaukee. Portis went berserk from beyond the arc, knocking down all five of his three-point attempts. He finished the game with 19 points and seven rebounds. Holiday also filled the stat sheet, recording a double-double with 18 points and 10 assists.

The Bucks entered this contest with supreme confidence as they had won all of their previous nine meetings with the Magic. Milwaukee destroyed Orlando, 123-92, in their last matchup back in November. Holiday paced the Bucks in that ballgame with 18 points while Moritz Wagner led the scoring for Orlando with 18 markers of his own.

It did not help matters for the Magic that they were missing many players for this game. Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Isaac, E'Twaun Moore, Michael Carter-Williams, Markelle Fultz, and Mo Bamba were all sidelined due to various injuries, while Mychal Mulder, Chuma Okeke, and Terrence Ross were placed on the league's health and safety protocols due to COVID-19.

Bucks hold off Magic rally to cop 10th straight win vs Orlando

The Bucks got off to a terrific start in this game, building a 32-24 advantage after the opening quarter. The Bucks stretched that lead even further in the second quarter as they outscored the Magic, 40-21, during that period. Milwaukee entered the halftime interval with a commanding 72-45 lead, and victory seemed to be a foregone conclusion for the Bucks.

Orlando made things interesting, however, in the third quarter as the Magic came out of the second half with guns blazing. The Magic uncorked a blistering 19-0 run during that period as they entered the fourth quarter trailing by just 15 points.

Orlando continued to pile on the pressure in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to just eight points with 7:15 remaining in the contest. However, the Bucks made sure that there would not be an epic collapse as they responded with a 7-0 run to quell the Magic's uprising.

Franz Wagner starred for Orlando in the loss, scoring a career-high 38 points. It was another disappointing defeat for the Magic, who remained in 14th place in the Eastern Conference with an abysmal 7-28 record. Orlando has now lost 12 of its 14 home games this season.