PARIS — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points and 12 rebounds and the NBA-leading Milwaukee Bucks beat the Charlotte Hornets 116-103 on Friday night in the first NBA regular-season game in France.
Milwaukee improved to 40-6 with its eighth straight victory. The Bucks have the best 46-game start in franchise history. They were 39-7 in 1970-71, when they won the NBA championship.
Eric Bledsoe added 20 points and five assists for the Bucks.
Malik Monk led Charlotte with 31 points.
The Hornets have lost eight in a row – the longest for the Hornets since dropping 10 straight in the 2014-15 season.
GRIZZLIES 125, PISTONS 112: Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 24 of his 29 points in the first half and sank a big 3-pointer in the fourth quarter to help Memphis hold on for a win at Detroit.
Ja Morant added 16 points and 12 assists, and Dillon Brooks got 22 of his 27 points in the second half.
Derrick Rose scored 22 points for the Pistons, who were missing center Andre Drummond because of a lacerated lip.
RAPTORS 118, KNICKS 112: Kyle Lowry scored 26 points, Pascal Siakam had 23 and visiting Toronto got its sixth straight victory.
A night after being voted to start the All-Star Game, Siakam had two big baskets down the stretch. He drove for a dunk with Toronto leading by only one, then nailed a 3-pointer with 21 seconds remaining after the Knicks had closed to within three.
Marcus Morris and Damyean Dotson each scored 21 points for the Knicks, who have dropped five of six. Julius Randle had 20 points and 11 rebounds.
NOTES
BULLS: Forward Lauri Markkanen is expected to miss four to six weeks because of an injured right hip.
The 7-footer from Finland had an MRI on Thursday after experiencing soreness in the hip for about a week.
“It hasn’t really gotten worse, but it’s been there for a couple of games,” he said Friday. “We decided to get an MRI before we go on the road.”
Markkanen is averaging 15 points and 6.5 rebounds. He had appeared in all 46 games, though he played through a sprained left ankle the past three weeks.
TRADES: The Golden State Warriors were working to finalize a trade to send center Willie Cauley-Stein to the Dallas Mavericks for a second-round draft pick this summer.
A person with direct knowledge of the trade discussions confirmed the swap of Cauley-Stein was in the works and anticipated it would be completed soon, speaking on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been finalized.
The 7-foot Cauley-Stein is averaging 7.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and a team-leading 1.22 blocks in 41 games this season.
The Mavericks also made a roster-clearing move by trading rookie Isaiah Roby to Oklahoma City for Justin Patton and cash.
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