Giannis, Bucks claw back in second half to beat Hornets

Milwaukee struggled to begin the game, but the team pushed through in Charlotte.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo in a time out during the first half agains the Charlotte Hornets. | Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Bucks are still in the win column after a 123-113 victory against the Charlotte Hornets inside the Spectrum Center.

Even though the Bucks defense was suspect in the first half, and the team trailed going into the locker room, they bounced back in the third quarter and sailed to victory thanks to some strong play from Giannis Antetokounmpo and others.

Milwaukee Bucks guard Gary Harris drives past Charlotte Hornets gaurd Brandon Miller. | Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

Bucks snag good win vs. Hornets

In the victory, Bobby Portis led all Bucks scores with 25 points off the bench. He made 8 of his 12 shots, including 5 of 7 from beyond the three-point line. Antetokounmpo was a smidge behind. Portis scoring 24 points on 11 of 16 shooting from the field. Myles Turner placed in third with 23 points on 7 of 12 shooting.

Kevin Porter Jr. had a double-double with 15 points and 11 assists, while Ryan Rollins joined them in double figures with 13.

For the Hornets, Brandon Miller led the game in scoring with 31 points while LaMelo Ball had 26 of his own. Collin Sexton was strong off the bench with 16 points, while Josh Green joined him in double digits with 10. Starting center Moussa Diabate had 14 points for the Hornets.

The Bucks took advantage of the Hornets not having rookie of the year candidate Kon Knueppel, who suffered an ankle injury on December 26 against the Orlando Magic. The Hornets also got another bad break from the injury front, as Miles Bridges left the game with an ankle injury of his own.

As the Bucks are very familiar with the concept of injuries and not going their way, they can only play the players that are in front of them on the court. That's what they did against the Hornets, and it led to a victory.

The Bucks now sit at 14-19 on the season and have won three of their last four games. They still sit one game back of the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference, but they are beginning to chip away and get closer to the version of the team they want to be.

The Bucks have one more game before the calendar turns to 2026 when they host the Washington Wizards at home. Tip-off is scheduled for Wednesday at 7 p.m. CT inside the Fiserv Forum. Fans can watch the game on FanDuel Sports Network or stream it on NBA League Pass.