NEW YORK _ In their second game back from a seven-game road trip, the Nets were hoping to enjoy the benefit of home cooking Monday night at Barclays Center. But the NBA-leading Bucks spoiled the festivities with a dominant fourth-quarter performance in which they scored 40 points on their way to a convincing 131-121 victory.
The Nets remained seventh in the Eastern Conference, but their position is precarious because their final four games include a visit to Milwaukee on Saturday, and this game showed that is a daunting task.
After fighting back from 22 points down in the opening quarter, the Nets and Bucks played volleyball with the lead in the third before the visitors took a two-point cushion to the fourth. That's where they turned up the heat, opening the period with a 10-2 burst that included seven points from Antetokounmpo for a 101-91 lead with 10:21 left.
