Antetokounmpo fires on return to sink Giddey’s Bulls
Source: NEOS KOSMOS
Giannis Antetokounmpo starred on return from eight games out with injury, scoring 29 points in Milwaukee’s win over Josh Giddey’s Chicago Bulls.
Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo’s return from injury for Milwaukee was bad news for Josh Giddey’s Chicago Bulls as their NBA winning streak ground to a halt.
The Greek superstar, back after missing eight games with a calf strain, led the Bucks to a 112-103 road victory over the Bulls on Sunday (AEDT).
Antetokounmpo had a game-high 29 points and eight rebounds in his dominant 25 minutes of action, with his court time restricted.
Giannis with a head of steam?
Not many scarier sights in the league 😳 https://t.co/x3EbcbjeZ0 pic.twitter.com/AZHztQTrux
— NBA (@NBA) December 28, 2025
“In the past, when I was younger, I think the recovery process for me was way faster,” said Antetokounmpo, who turned 31 this month. “Now you’ve got to be patient with everything.”
Ryan Rollins scored 20 points and Bobby Portis added 17 points and 10 rebounds for Milwaukee, who had dropped six of their previous eight games.
Nikola Vucevic and Coby White each scored 16 points for Chicago, while Australian guard Giddey had 13 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.
Josh Giddey looks off the defender and delivers the DIME to Okoro 👀
Tap to watch: https://t.co/ueBjG2andL pic.twitter.com/sqoe6jNV1I
— NBA (@NBA) December 28, 2025
It was the Bulls’ (15-16) first loss after a five-game winning streak had briefly squared their season ledger.
Fellow Victorian products Dyson Daniels and Johnny Furphy also suffered defeats on Sunday (AEDT).
Daniels had 13 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for Atlanta, whose bold late comeback fell short in a narrow 128-125 loss to New York.
It was the Hawks’ sixth straight loss, wrapping up a horror 0-5 home stand.
The Knicks were powered by a season-high 36 points and 16 rebounds from Karl-Anthony Towns and 34 points from Jalen Brunson.
Furphy had nine points and seven rebounds for struggling Indiana, who were thrashed 142-116 by Miami.
The Pacers (6-26) have lost eight straight games and are nursing the league’s worst record.
There was no mercy from Andrew Wiggins or Jaime Jaquez Jr as they poured in 28 points each for the Heat, who outscored Indiana 44-22 in the final quarter.
Elsewhere, Russell Westbrook had 21 points and nine assists to move past Magic Johnson for seventh place on the NBA’s career assists list while leading Sacramento to a 113-107 win over Dallas.
Westbrook also grabbed five rebounds as his nine assists gave him 10,149 – eight more than Johnson.
TWO-WAY LONGEVITY 😤
Russell Westbrook is the 5th player since 1973-74 with 25,000 career PTS and 2,000 career STL, joining:
LeBron James (42,447 PTS, 2,357 STL)
Karl Malone (36,928 PTS, 2,085 STL
Michael Jordan (32,292 PTS, 2,514 STL)
Hakeem Olajuwan (26,946 PTS, 2,162 STL) https://t.co/WbiaqlIAB4 pic.twitter.com/8JPsDQXkSS— NBA (@NBA) December 28, 2025
Congrats to @russwest44 of the @SacramentoKings for becoming the 14th player in NBA history to record 2,000 STEALS! pic.twitter.com/QfxFbgSWQ9
— NBA (@NBA) December 27, 2025
The 37-year-old also moved within nine points of tying Dominique Wilkins for 19th on the NBA’s scoring chart while propelling Sacramento to their third victory in 13 games.
Lauri Markkanen (29 points) and Keyonte George starred as Utah beat San Antonio 127-114, snapping the Spurs’ league-high eight-game winning streak.
Kevin Durant scored 30 points in three quarters and sat out the last as he led Houston to a comfortable 117-100 win over Cleveland.
Source: AP
The original article: belongs to NEOS KOSMOS .
