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Bucks pull away from Hornets in OT

Dec 30, 2014 - 5:56 AM Charlotte, NC (SportsNetwork.com) - Brandon Knight had 18 points, four assists and four steals, Jared Dudley added 17 points and nine rebounds off the bench and the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Charlotte Hornets 104-94 in overtime on Monday night.

The Hornets overcame a 21-point first half deficit in regulation to force overtime, but the Bucks began the extra session on a 9-2 spurt to seize control. Giannis Antetokounmpo bookended the flurry with a jumper and a hook shot to stake Milwaukee to a 92-85 advantage.

Charlotte never got within less than six the rest of the way.

Antetokounmpo posted 16 points, eight boards and four assists, while Zaza Pachulia provided 15 points for the Bucks, who had dropped four of their last six games coming in.

"We had a big lead, offensively and defensively we started to slip a little bit," Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. "Guys stayed up and kept their composure."

Kemba Walker netted 28 points, Gerald Henderson supplied 19 points and five helpers and Marvin Williams pulled down 14 boards for Charlotte, which has lost three straight on the heels of a four-game winning streak.

"Tough first half," Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. "We played a good second half ... they played a great overtime."

Walker poured in five points during a 14-4 Charlotte swing, which Williams finished off with a triple to tie the game at 81-81 with 3:05 to go in regulation.

Knight tied the contest at 83-83 with 15.7 ticks on the clock with a putback layup and Walker turned the ball over at the other end, but Dudley's left elbow jumper at the horn was off the mark.

The game was tied 14-14 before the Bucks ripped off 10 straight points to open up a 24-14 advantage late in the first quarter.

They led 25-18 following a quarter of play and an elongated 18-2 run helped Milwaukee build a seemingly comfortable cushion. Khris Middleton netted six points during the surge, which was capped on a Knight steal and layup for a 43-22 margin.

Williams knocked down a 3-pointer in the waning seconds of the first half to get Charlotte within 49-32 heading into the break.

Walker finished off a 12-2 Charlotte burst with a layup to claw it within 63-59 late in the third.

O.J. Mayo nailed a trey at the third-quarter buzzer to stake the Bucks to a 68-61 lead going into the fourth.

Game Notes

The last three meetings between the Bucks and Hornets in Charlotte have been decided in overtime ... The Hornets were without swingman Lance Stephenson for a seventh straight game due to a hip injury ... Milwaukee turned the ball over 20 times, but held Charlotte to just 36.7 percent (33-of-90) from the floor.