The Milwaukee Bucks can tie a franchise record on Wednesday if they defeat the visiting Detroit Pistons for the second time in three nights.
The Bucks are in line to match the franchise-best start of 7-0, set by the 1970-71 and 2018-19 squads, while retaining their status as the league’s only undefeated team.
Despite leading most of the way Monday, the Bucks couldn’t put away the feisty young Pistons, who were playing the end of a back-to-back. Detroit rallied from a 16-point deficit to tie the score with just under a minute remaining before Milwaukee’s Jrue Holiday knocked down a decisive 3-pointer.
Milwaukee defeated the Pistons for the 14th time in the last 15 regular-season meetings.
Earlier in the quarter, Holiday made a 3-pointer after his team had misfired 14 consecutive times from long range.
Milwaukee also used its size advantage to pull out the 110-108 victory. The Bucks outrebounded the Pistons 50-43.
Lopez, who normally does most of his offensive damage from long range, scored eight of his 10 field goals inside the arc. He finished with 24 points and nine rebounds.
With Marvin Bagley III sidelined by a knee sprain, Detroit has utilized small alignments at the forward spots. Rookie center Jalen Duren also missed Monday’s game due to an ankle sprain but might rejoin the club in Milwaukee for the rematch.
Cunningham had 27 points, seven assists and six rebounds, Bogdanovic contributed 23 points, and Ivy scored 19. Cunningham missed a triple-double by one assist in the Pistons’ 128-114 win over Golden State on Sunday.
Cunningham missed an elbow jumper and a 3-point try after Holiday’s tie-breaking basket.
