The China Mail - Dieng powers Bucks over NBA champion Thunder

The game in Oklahoma City lost some star power with OKC's reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missing a fifth straight contest with an abdominal strain and Milwaukee's two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo sitting out a ninth straight game with a calf strain.

French forward Dieng, who landed in Milwaukee after being dealt by the Thunder before the trade deadline this month, reminded Oklahoma City what they gave up with 19 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and four blocked shots, connecting on an efficient seven of 12 shots from the field including three three-pointers.

AJ Green added 27 points and Bobby Portis had 15 points and 12 rebounds off the bench for Milwaukee, who had seven players score in double figures.

The Thunder had won two straight since back-to-back losses to Western Conference rivals San Antonio and Houston.

But with Jalen Williams joining Gilgeous-Alexander on the sidelines with a hamstring strain, Oklahoma City trailed virtually all the way.

Guard Isaiah Joe scored 17 points and center Chet Holmgren added 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Thunder, who still take a Western Conference-leading record of 42-14 into the All-Star break.

They had more good news with the long-awaited NBA debut of Nikola Topic, who was diagnosed before the season with testicular cancer.

The 20-year-old Serbian was the 12th selection in the 2024 NBA draft, missing all of the 2024-25 campaign because of a knee injury.

Topic received a standing ovation when he entered the game in the first quarter and scored two points on one basket in 12:22 minutes of action.

"Just thrilled for him," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said of Topic. "He's obviously been through a ton of adversity in his life in the last couple of years.

"He's a young guy that all he wants to do is play basketball and that's been taken from him a couple of different times. So for him to work himself to this point, get himself on the floor is a great accomplishment."

K.Leung--ThChM