CHICAGO — Grayson Allen set playoff career highs with 27 points and six 3-pointers, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 32 points and 17 rebounds and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Chicago Bulls 119-95 on Sunday to take a 3-1 lead in their first-round series.

Jrue Holiday scored 26, and the Bucks made it look easy again after beating the Bulls by 30 in Game 3 and handing them the most lopsided home playoff loss in franchise history. The defending NBA champions led by 22 early in the third quarter in Game 4 and steadied themselves after a push by Chicago. They’ll try to wrap up the series in Milwaukee on Wednesday.

Allen delivered another huge effort off the bench, surpassing his previous postseason scoring high of 22 points in Game 3. He made 10 of 12 shots and nailed 6 of 7 3s, with Chicago fans booing just about every time he touched the ball.

Antetokounmpo had seven assists.

Holiday made five 3s. Bobby Portis added 14 points and 10 rebounds in his second straight start in place of Khris Middleton, who is sidelined because of a sprained left knee, and the Bucks beat the Bulls for the 19th time in 21 games.

Zach LaVine led Chicago with 24 points and 13 assists. DeMar DeRozan scored 23 points and Patrick Williams finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

NUGGETS 126, WARRIORS 121: Nikola Jokic scored 37 points and fed Will Barton for a 3-pointer from the left corner with 8.3 seconds left, helping Denver avoid a series sweep with a victory over visiting Golden State.

Monte Morris’ 7-footer broke a 121-all tie with 33.5 seconds left after the Nuggets blew a 17-point lead. Austin Rivers then stole an Otto Porter Jr. pass to set up the clinching basket.

Morris finished with 24 points. He hit five 3-pointers in the third quarter, the most in a quarter by any player in these playoffs.

Steph Curry led the Warriors with 33 points. Klay Thompson scored 22 of his 32 points after picking up his fourth foul in the final second of the first half. Jordan Poole had 11 after averaging 27.8 in the first three games of the series.

The series shifts back to San Francisco for Game 5 on Wednesday night.

HEAT 110, HAWKS 86: Jimmy Butler scored 13 of his 36 points in a dominant second quarter and Miami won in Atlanta to take a 3-1 series lead.

Miami can wrap up the first-round series in Game 5 on Tuesday night in Miami.

Butler overcame a slow start. He made only 1 of 7 shots before hitting his final five shots of the first half. Miami outscored Atlanta 30-15 in the second quarter.

Butler also had 10 rebounds, four assists and blocked a shot.

Atlanta’s Trae Young scored only nine points with five assists and five turnovers as he was shut down by Miami’s defense for the second time in four games. Young was held to eight points in Miami’s 115-91 Game 1 win.

De’Andre Hunter led the Hawks with 24 points.

NOTES

NETS: Ben Simmons has been ruled out of Game 4 of Brooklyn’s playoff series against Boston, making it possible he won’t play at all this season.

The Nets listed Simmons as out Sunday on the injury report for the game Monday night, when they will be trying to avoid a sweep by the Celtics.

Simmons has been working his way back from a herniated disk in his back, and Coach Steve Nash said before Game 3 on Saturday that the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft had no setbacks after a 3-on-3 scrimmage earlier in the day.

But he also cautioned there was still a lot to consider as they weighed inserting Simmons, who hasn’t played since Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals last year for Philadelphia.

 

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