The Minnesota Timberwolves played without star Karl-Anthony Towns (concussion protocol) but still made life difficult for the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night. The Bucks turned up the heat defensively in the fourth quarter to pull out a 140-128 victory at Fiserv Forum.
The Bucks trailed by two points heading into the fourth quarter, but the Bucks tightened the defense and went on a 18-2 run to secure the win, moving them to 45-14 on the season. The 45 victories surpasses their win total for all of last season.
Khris Middleton led all scorers with 28 points, 20 of which came in the second half. Giannis Antetokounmpo added 27 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.
The Bucks also got 19 points from Brook Lopez, 17 from Nikoa Mirotic and 16 each from Malcolm Brogdon and Eric Bledsoe. Ersan Ilyasova is the seventh Bucks player to finish in double figures with 13 points.
Derrick Rose led the Timberwolves with 23 points.
The Bucks return to action Monday night in Chicago against the Bulls.