Nets 107, Bucks 98

MILWAUKEE — Forward Marcus Thornton scored 25 points off the bench to lead the Brooklyn Nets to a 107-98 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

Thornton hit 8 of 13 shots from the field in 23 minutes and connected on 4 of 7 3-pointers, including a 26-footer with 2:47 left that stopped a late Bucks rally and gave the Nets a nine-point lead.

He was one of five Nets to score in double figures.

Center Andray Blatche had 19 points and 13 rebounds, point guard Deron Williams finished with 15 points, guard Shaun Livingston hit 7 of 11 shots from the field for 14 points and forward Paul Pierce made 5 of 7 from the free throw line for 12 points as the Nets shot 45 percent from the field and made 10 of 25 from beyond the arc.

Brooklyn (28-29) led by 11 early in the fourth quarter at 85-74 after turning a turnover by Bucks guard Ramon Sessions into a 3-pointer by forward Mirza Teletovic with 10:04 to play.

Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo’s steal and dunk got the Bucks within six with 6:11 left.

Brooklyn could not cash in on its next three possessions and Antetokounmpo came through again for Milwaukee, sinking two free throws to make it 89-85 with 5:15 left before the Nets responded with a 3-pointer from Pierce.

Bucks forward Khris Middleton hit all five of his first-half shots from the field and had 10 points at halftime. But with nine turnovers in the half, the Bucks trailed Brooklyn 55-53 at intermission.

Middleton and Sessions each finished with 16 points to lead the Bucks (11-47), who have lost two in a row and four of their last five.

NOTES: After playing just 26 total minutes in the Nets last two games, PF/C Kevin Garnett was not available Saturday because of a sore back. Rookie Mason Plumlee started in Garnett’s place. … F Jeff Adrien played in 25 games for Charlotte before being dealt to Milwaukee last week but has appeared in three straight games for the Bucks, playing an average of 20 minutes while pulling down 9.0 rebounds per night. … The Nets wrapped up a six-game road trip. … Since missing 10 games with the flu, Bucks G O.J. Mayo scored in double figures in three of his last four games while averaging nearly 25 minutes per game. “He looks to be kind of getting into a rhythm,” Bucks coach Larry Drew said. “I don’t think his conditioning is totally back yet, he’s still trying to get there, but you’re starting to see him do some things.”