Jimmy Butler III scored a game-high 24 points, Brandin Podziemski returned from injury to hit two clutch late 3-pointers, and the Golden State Warriors, playing without Stephen Curry, held off the Milwaukee Bucks 104-93 on Tuesday night.
With Curry resting, the Warriors (40-29) bounced back from a home loss to Denver, securing their 15th win in 18 games since acquiring Butler from Miami.
Kyle Kuzma led Milwaukee (38-30) with 22 points, but the Bucks struggled as Giannis Antetokounmpo (5-for-16, 20 points) and Damian Lillard (6-for-18, 16 points) endured cold shooting nights.
After seeing a 17-point lead vanish in the third quarter, the Warriors went ahead for good by scoring the period's last eight points. Buddy Hield sank a 26-foot 3-pointer, Jonathan Kuminga made two free throws, and Butler, fouled on a 3-point attempt with 1.5 seconds left, hit three foul shots for a 78-76 lead.
Golden State extended the run to open the fourth quarter when Butler turned a jumper into a three-point play, added a 10-footer, and Hield buried another 3-pointer, pushing the lead to 86-76.
The Bucks, opening a five-game Western Conference swing, cut the deficit to 96-93 on two Antetokounmpo free throws with four minutes left. But after a scoreless 101 seconds, Podziemski drilled two critical 3-pointers, sandwiching a Gary Payton II floater, sealing Golden State’s win.
Butler did nearly half his scoring at the foul line, going 11-for-11. He also recorded a game-high 10 assists and eight rebounds.
Podziemski, who missed the previous five games with a back injury, hit six of 10 shots overall and four of seven from beyond the arc, finishing with 17 points and seven rebounds.
Hield scored 15 points, Quinten Post had 14, and Kuminga added 10 for the Warriors. Draymond Green, who anchored the defense against Antetokounmpo, grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds along with four assists, four blocks, two steals, and three points.
Antetokounmpo, who did half his scoring at the line, going 10-for-15, led the Bucks with nine rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and two blocks.
Brook Lopez and Gary Trent Jr. each scored 16 points for the Bucks, who were swept in the season series by Golden State for the first time since 2016-17.
