Nets build big lead and barely hang on down the stretch for 113-110 victory over Bucks

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Cam Johnson scored 26 points, Cam Thomas had 24 and the Brooklyn Nets withstood a frantic Milwaukee comeback attempt down the stretch to beat the Bucks 113-110 on Thursday.

Brooklyn led by as many as 24 and still owned a 111-90 advantage with less than seven minutes left before the Bucks scored 20 straight points. The Bucks had the ball with a chance to take the lead, but Giannis Antetokounmpo couldn’t finish on his drive to the basket.

Brooklyn’s Ziaire Williams got the rebound and hit two free throws with 6.1 seconds left.

Damian Lillard missed two potential tying 3-point attempts in the last 4.1 seconds.

Antetokounmpo had 27 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists while shooting 12 of 24 from the floor.

Milwaukee’s Andre Jackson Jr. was ejected from the game with 9.9 seconds left in the first half for making unnecessary and excessive contact with Brooklyn’s Nic Claxton.

Nets: Brooklyn went 3-1 against the Bucks this season, including two wins at Milwaukee over the last eight days. The last time the Nets beat the Bucks as many as three times within the same regular season is 2013-14.

Bucks: Antetokounmpo has scored at least 20 points while shooting at least 50% from the floor in each of his 26 games this season, the longest such streak in NBA history. Shaquille O’Neal (January-March 2001) and Zion Williamson (February-April 2021) were the only players to score at least 20 points and make at least half their shot attempts in 25 straight games.

D'Angelo Russell, who had 11 points and 12 assists, was carried to the locker room in the final minute with what Nets coach Jordi Fernandez said was cramps. Johnson tweaked his ankle in the final seconds.

The Nets' last basket came with 6:55 left, but they still found a way to win.

Both teams play at home Saturday, with the Nets facing the Philadelphia 76ers and the Bucks meeting the Portland Trail Blazers.

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

Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo fouls Brooklyn Nets' Maxwell Lewis during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Brooklyn Nets' Nic Claxton dunks past Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Milwaukee Bucks' Ryan Rollins and Brooklyn Nets' Nic Claxton go after a loose ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo pauses before an NBA basketball game against the Brooklyn Nets Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Brooklyn Nets' Cam Thomas tries to get past Milwaukee Bucks' Gary Trent Jr. during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Brooklyn Nets' Jalen Wilson tries to get past Milwaukee Bucks' Bobby Portis during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Brooklyn Nets' Cam Thomas shoots past Milwaukee Bucks' Brook Lopez during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Brooklyn Nets' D'Angelo Russell tries to get past Milwaukee Bucks' Damian Lillard during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

After a rocky few years and the disbanding of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the Golden Globes have seemingly stabilized. Now the question is: Can they still put on a good show?

The 82nd Golden Globes, beginning Sunday night at 8 p.m. EST, will hope to rekindle some of the frothy comic energy of the days when Ricky Gervais or Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosted. Last year's comeback edition, hosted by Jo Koy, was widely panned, but it delivered where it counted: Ratings rebounded to about 10 million viewers, according to Nielsen. CBS signed up for five more years.

This time, comedian Nikki Glaser will be emceeing the ceremony from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. The Globes, now owned by Todd Boehly's Eldridge Industries and Dick Clark Productions, will be broadcast live by CBS and available to stream live for subscribers to Paramount+ with Showtime beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern.

While Glaser doesn't have as widely seen contenders as last year, when “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie” were the headliners, the show does promise about as much star power as Hollywood can muster. Nominees including Zendaya, Timothée Chalamet, Angelina Jolie, Daniel Craig, Denzel Washington, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Selena Gomez.

Jacques Audiard's Netflix musical “Emilia Pérez” comes in as the lead nominee, with 10 nods, followed by Brady Corbet's postwar epic “The Brutalist,” with seven, and Edward Berger's papal thriller “Conclave,” with six. Among the top-nominated series are “The Bear,” “Shogun" and “Only Murders in the Building.”

Here are a few things to look for heading into Sunday's Globes:

The best actor in a drama category is a bruiser, with a field of Ralph Fiennes ("Conclave"), Adrien Brody ("The Brutalist"), Daniel Craig ("Queer"), Colman Domingo ("Sing Sing"), Sebastian Stan ("The Apprentice") and Chalamet, for the Bob Dylan film “A Complete Unknown.” While Fiennes or Brody might take it, a win for Chalamet would be the first major award for the 29-year-old star — and surely would get the Oscar talk going.

Just days before the Globes, Blake Lively sued “It Ends With Us” director Justin Baldoni and several others tied to the romantic drama, alleging harassment and a coordinated campaign to attack her reputation for coming forward about her treatment on the set. Baldoni, who has denied it, joined in a suit accusing The New York Times for libel in its story on her allegations.

Whether or not any of this gets mentioned on the Beverly Hilton Ballroom stage, it will surely be on the minds of many attendees. Among the nominees for box-office achievement is “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which star and was co-produced by Ryan Reynolds, Lively's husband. Glaser, whose sharply barbed jokes at a roast of Tom Brady helped catapult her to this moment, isn't known for biting her tongue.

“Emilia Pérez” may have be favored over “Wicked” for the best comedy or musical award, but Jon M. Chu’s theatrical hit is also in the mix for the Globes’ nascent cinematic box office achievement award. Either, or both, of the leading ladies of ”Wicked” could also win: Erivo in the leading actress category, and Grande in supporting.

The Globes, taking place about two weeks before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, could get very political if presenters and winners are so inclined to continue what's been a mutually antagonistic relationship between Hollywood and Trump. That may be unlikely, though; so far in Hollywood's awards season, most nominees have tried to stay out of the fray.

That's with a major exception, though, in “The Apprentice,” the young Trump drama starring Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong. Both were nominated by the Globes. Stan was also nominated a second time for his performance in “A Different Man.”

It's been an unusually uncertain awards season so far in many respects. No one movie has really stepped forward as the leading best picture contender, though several films — including “Conclave,” “Anora,” “Wicked," “Emilia Pérez” and “The Brutalist” — can all make a decent case. The Globes don't typically do much to sort out the field, but a strong showing from any of the above could add fuel to their Oscar campaign.

For more coverage of the 2025 Golden Globe Awards, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/golden-globe-awards

Barry Adelman, from left, Nikki Glaser, Helen Hoehne, and Glenn Weiss roll out the red carpet during the 82nd Golden Globes press preview on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)