The Hawks are learning how to play without Paul Millsap.
They just aren’t winning without their best player.
The Hawks dropped a 100-97 decision to the Bucks Friday night at BMO Harris Bradley Center.
The Hawks (37-35) have lost six straight games, four without Millsap. They are 0-7 on the season without their All-Star.
Schroder led the Hawks with 28 points. Tim Hardaway Jr. added 25 points and Dwight Howard had 20 points and 12 rebounds.
The Bucks (37-35) have won two straight and 11 of the past 13 games to catch the Hawks for fifth in the Eastern Conference standings. The Hawks hold the tiebreaker with a 3-1 head-to-head record.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with a game-high 34 points.
Antetokounmpo gave the Bucks a 94-92 lead with 1:24 remaining with a drive to the basket. Hardaway hit a pair of free throws with 1:14 left to tie the score. Greg Monroe scored with 40 seconds left on a possession kept alive by an offensive rebound. Dennis Schroder answered with a layup and Monroe scored in close to give the Bucks a 98-96 lead. Dwight Howard missed one of two free throws with 10.3 seconds left. Khris Middleton hit a pair of free throws with 9.6 seconds left for a 100-97 Bucks lead. Ersan Ilyasova missed a 3-pointer with under a second remaining. Antetokounmpo missed two free throws with 0.2 seconds left by the Hawks had no time left.
The Bucks held a 45-43 lead at halftime after each team went on significant runs. The Bucks led by as many as 12 points with a 17-3 run between the first and second quarters. The Hawks only points were a Kris Humphries 3-pointer. The Hawks chipped away at the deficit and pulled within two points with a 13-2 run to end the second quarter.
Hardaway (14 points), Schroder (11) and Howard (10) scored all but eight of the Hawks’ first-half points. Antetokounmpo had 17 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three blocks for the Bucks.
The Hawks got 15 third-quarter points from Schroder to take a 74-72 lead into the fourth quarter.
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