OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Former Thunder forward Ousmane Dieng had 19 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and four blocks, and the Milwaukee Bucks beat Oklahoma City 110-93 on Thursday night.
The Thunder traded Dieng just before the deadline. The 6-foot-9 Frenchman was the G-League Finals MVP as the Oklahoma City Blue won the championship in 2024 and a Thunder reserve.
Both teams were missing important pieces.
Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers was out attending a funeral, and assistant Darvin Ham filled in. Bucks All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo was out with a right calf strain.
Oklahoma City played without reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal strain) and co-star Jalen Williams (right hamstring strain). Both will be re-evaluated after the All-Star break.
AJ Green scored 17 points for the Bucks, and obby Portis added 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Isaiah Joe scored 17 points and Chet Holmgren added 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Thunder, who were coming off road wins against the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix.
Nikola Topic, who had not played this season after being diagnosed with testicular cancer, made his NBA debut. The No. 12 pick in the 2024 draft, who also missed his first season with a torn ACL, entered the game late in the first quarter and received a loud ovation.
Topic scored his only basket on a shot from near the free-throw line early in the second quarter. He finished with two points, one rebound and one assist in 12 minutes.
Milwaukee controlled most of the first half, but a flurry by Holmgren kept the Thunder relatively close. Holmgren scored 11 points in the final 3:10 of the first half, but the Bucks led 67-55.
Milwaukee extended its lead in the third quarter, holding the Thunder to 16 points and taking an 89-73 lead into the fourth. The Bucks extended their lead to 24 points in the final period.
Bucks: At New Orleans on Friday, Feb. 20.
Thunder: Host Brooklyn on Friday, Feb. 20.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
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