Antetokounmpo and the Bucks hold off Atlanta 112-110 to snap a three-game skid

By Canadian Press on January 19, 2026.

ATLANTA (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 21 points and 17 rebounds and the Milwaukee Bucks snapped a three-game losing streak, holding off the Atlanta Hawks 112-110 on Monday after squandering a 23-point lead in the second half.

The Hawks led 105-104 on Jalen Johnson’s 3-pointer with 1:11 remaining before dropping their fourth in a row in the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day game played in the hometown of the civil rights icon.

AJ Green and Bobby Portis hit back-to-back 3s, Johnson turned the ball over and Antetokounmpo powered inside for a basket that made it 109-105 with 36 seconds to go.

The Hawks still had a chance after Nickeil Alexander-Walker connected from outside the stripe and Ryan Rollins missed a free throw for the Bucks. But CJ McCollum bobbled the ball and wound up flinging an off-balance shot that clanked off the rim to seal it for Milwaukee.

Atlanta nearly won after missing its first 21 shots from 3-point range. The Hawks trailed 54-38 at halftime and 74-51 approaching the midway point of the third period before finally coming to life.

Alexander-Walker led the Hawks with 32 points, while Johnson had 28 points and 16 rebounds. The Bucks were more balanced, with six players in double figures.

Milwaukee made a lineup change, dropping Kevin Porter Jr. from the starting five. After starting all 36 games he had played this season, Porter was replaced by Kyle Kuzma.

Porter was benched after a rough January that included an 0-for-9 shooting performance in Milwaukee’s previous game, a blowout loss to the San Antonio Spurs. He played 28 minutes against the Hawks with nine points, seven assists and six rebounds.

The Hawks continued to struggle at home, dropping to 7-13 at State Farm Arena. They are 13-12 on the road.

As part of the holiday commemoration, Martin Luther King III and his wife, Arndrea Waters King, were recognized during a timeout early in the third quarter.

Up next

Bucks: Return home to take on the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.

Hawks: Travel to Memphis on Wednesday to face the Grizzlies.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Paul Newberry, The Associated Press

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