Jimmy Butler III scored a game-high 24 points, Brandin Podziemski returned from an injury to hit two key late 3-pointers and the Golden State Warriors, playing without Stephen Curry, held off the Milwaukee Bucks 104-93 on Tuesday night.
With Curry resting his 36-year-old back and knees, Golden State (40-29) rebounded from a home loss to the Denver Nuggets one night earlier to win for a 15th win in 18 games since acquiring Butler from the Miami Heat.
Kyle Kuzma had a team-high 22 points for the Bucks (38-30), who could not overcome off shooting nights by Giannis Antetokounmpo (5-for-16, 20 points) and Damian Lillard (6-for-18, 16 points).
After seeing what was once a 17-point lead disappear in the third quarter, the Warriors went in front for good by scoring the period’s last eight points. Buddy Hield sank a 26-footer 3-pointer, Jonathan Kuminga made two foul shots, and Butler, fouled on a 3-point attempt with 1.5 seconds left, nailed three free throws for a 78-76 advantage.
Golden State continued the run to open the fourth quarter when Butler turned a jumper into a three-point play and added a 10-footer before Hield buried another 3-pointer, putting the Warriors up 86-76.
The Bucks, who were opening a five-game Western swing, managed to get within 96-93 on a pair of Antetokounmpo free throws with four minutes left. But after a scoreless 101 seconds, Podziemski bombed in his two critical 3-pointers, sandwiching a Gary Payton II floater, putting Golden State in command.
Butler did almost half his scoring at the free-throw line, going 11-for-11. He also found time for a game-high 10 assists and eight rebounds.
Podziemski, who had missed the previous five games with a back injury, hit six of his 10 shots overall and four of his seven 3-point attempts on a 17-point night. He also had seven rebounds.
Hield finished with 15 points, Quinten Post 14 and Kuminga 10 for the Warriors. Draymond Green, the driving force in the club’s defensive game plan against Antetokounmpo, chipped in with a game-high 10 rebounds to go with four assists, four blocks, two steals and three points.
Antetokounmpo, who did half his scoring by going 10-for-15 at the line, paced the Bucks with nine rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocks.
Brook Lopez had 16 points and Gary Trent Jr. 10 for the Bucks, who were swept in the two-game season series by Golden State for the first time since 2016-17.
