Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Milwaukee Bucks to a win at Chicago in his return from injury, the Utah Jazz stormed San Antonio 24 hours after beating Detroit, and Jose Alvarado and Mark Williams were ejected from the New Orleans Pelicans-Phoenix Suns game after tangling on the court.
The Bucks (13-19) had lost six of the eight games the Greek missed because of his calf injury, and have even fallen out of playoff positions in the East.
On Saturday, Antetokounmpo scored 29 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in the Bucks’ 103-112 win over the Chicago Bulls.
Antetokounmpo heated up the end of the game for a dunk with two seconds left, when the Bulls had already given up defending.
“If we keep losing, we’re not going to make the playoffs. If a dunk is what it takes for everyone to wake up and understand that we’re fighting for our lives, so be it,” Antetokounmpo said after the game.
Wembanyama is not enough
🚀 Watch Ace 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗙 🚀#DunksoftheWeek presented by @WasatchFord pic.twitter.com/HmDu6Fd6xY
– Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) December 28, 2025
The Utah Jazz knocked off the East-leading Detroit Pistons last night.
Twenty-four hours later, they stormed San Antonio to beat the Spurs, the team of the moment, 127-114.
The Spurs (23-8) were without De’Aaron Fox because of an abductor discomfort, but Victor Wembanyama returned to the starting five for the first time since Nov. 14.
French signed 32 points, 7 rebounds, 5 blocks and 3 assists and Keldon Johnson contributed 27 points and 10 rebounds, but it was not enough to overcome a Jazz led by Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George, with 29 and 28 points each.
The Spurs succumbed from the perimeter, making a poor 10 of 44 three-pointers (22.7%), doubled by Utah’s 45.9%.
Fighting in New Orleans
BREAKING: The NBA is suspending New Orleans Pelicans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado for two games, per @ShamsCharania.
He will be OUT tomorrow when the Knicks play the Pelicans in NOLA. pic.twitter.com/8WQr5hcUyn
– SleeperKnicks (@SleeperKnicks) December 29, 2025
Jose Alvarado and Mark Williams were ejected from the New Orleans Pelicans-Phoenix Suns game (114-123) after getting into a fistfight at midcourt at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
With just over two minutes left in the third quarter of the game, a fight broke out between Williams and Alvarado, who represents Puerto Rico at the international level.
The Suns were on the attack when Williams set a screen on the three-point line to Alvarado, who pushed it with both hands, drawing a personal foul.
The Puerto Rican went to the referees to protest when Williams pushed him.
He then turned to face the Suns center, who is more than a head taller than him.
A fight broke out with several blows, including a punch from Alvarado that apparently hit Williams in the face.
In addition, the Denver Nuggets fell 127-126 to the Orlando Magic despite a triple-double by Serbia’s Nikola Jokic (34 points, 21 rebounds and 12 assists).
Jokic is one triple-double shy of Oscar Robertson’s 181, second only to Russell Westbrook’s 207.
In Minneapolis, the Brooklyn Nets gave Jordi Fernandez a 107-123 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on his birthday to snap their first three-game winning streak of the season.
The Houston Rockets defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-100 and the Miami Heat defeated the Indiana Pacers 142-116.
The New York Knicks beat the Atlanta Hawks 128-125, while the Sacramento Kings defeated the Dallas Mavericks 113-107.
Filed under: Giannis leads the Bucks
With information from EFE
