Delhi Capitals stretches unbeaten run in IPL to four games with six-wicket win over Bengaluru

BENGALURU, India (AP) — Delhi Capitals stretched its winning streak to four games with a six-wicket victory, handing Royal Challengers Bengaluru a second home defeat in the Indian Premier League on Thursday.

Bengaluru wasted opener Phil Salt’s quickfire 37 off 17 balls and was restricted to 163-7. Wrist spinners Vipraj Nigam and Kuldeep Yadav picked up four wickets for just 35 runs in their combined eight overs.

Lokesh Rahul then followed his 77 against Chennai Super Kings with another masterful unbeaten 93 off 53 balls as he led Delhi to 169-4 with more than two overs to spare.

Bengaluru had a chance when Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s two strikes had Delhi stuttering at 58-4 before Rahul and Tristan Stubbs (38 not out) combined in a match-winning unbroken 111-run stand off 55 balls.

Delhi, with eight points from four successive wins, share top spot with Gujarat Titans, which has played one more game.

Bengaluru, with three away wins and two home defeats, is third on six points.

Rahul soaked up the pressure of losing early wickets before counterpunching in the second half of Delhi’s impeccable run-chase, with Stubbs also dominating the spin bowlers with reverse sweeps.

Faf du Plessis recovered from a hamstring injury but scored only two off seven balls against his former franchise before he top-edged fast bowler Yash Dayal in the second over.

Jake Fraser-McGurk (7) and Abishek Porel (7) went cheaply, skying catches to wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma off Kumar’s short balls, and captain Axar Patel (15) was taken at long-off as Delhi chase got derailed in the ninth over.

Bengaluru missed a golden opportunity when Rajat Patidar couldn’t cling onto a difficult two-handed running catch off Rahul.

“On a wicket like this, I knew what my pockets were,” Rahul said. “If I wanted to hit a big six, I knew what pockets to target, and (wicket) keeping gave me a feel for where other batters were dismissed and where they hit the sixes.”

Rahul raised his half century off 37 balls but upped the ante when he smashed premier Bengaluru fast bowler Josh Hazlewood for 22 runs in the 15th over, which featured three fours and a six over long off.

Rahul finished with six sixes and seven fours as he shared Delhi’s best fifth-wicket IPL stand with Stubbs.

“Got lucky with the dropped catch,” Rahul said.“This is my ground, my home, know it better than anyone else.”

Salt’s assault against Mitchell Starc helped Bengaluru raise the fastest half century by a team in this edition of the IPL, in just three overs, with the Australian paceman's second over going for 30 runs.

Salt hit four fours and three sixes before he was involved in a bizarre run-out when he slipped after Virat Kohli initially went for a tight single but then turned back.

Bengaluru never got back the momentum against spinners Nigam and Yadav before Tim David slammed an unbeaten 37 off 20 balls.

Kohli made 22 off 14 balls.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Royal Challengers Bengaluru fans cheer for their team during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, India, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Tim David plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, India, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Phil Salt, right, is run-out by Delhi Capitals' wicketkeeper KL Rahul during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, India, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Delhi Capitals' Vipraj Nigam (28) celebrates with captain Axar Patel after the dismissal of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, India, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli walks off the field after losing his wicket during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, India, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Delhi Capitals' Ashutosh Sharma, right, celebrates after taking the catch to dismiss Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Liam Livingstone during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, India, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Delhi Capitals' Kuldeep Yadav celebrates the dismissal of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's captain Rajat Patidar during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, India, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Bhuvneshwar Kumar, fourth left, celebrates with teammates after the dismissal of Delhi Capitals' Abishek Porel during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, India, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Delhi Capitals' KL Rahul, left, and his batting partner Tristan Stubbs run between the wickets to score during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, India, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Delhi Capitals' KL Rahul celebrates after winning the Indian Premier League cricket match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, India, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Delhi Capitals' Tristan Stubbs plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, India, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Delhi Capitals' KL Rahul plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, India, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo blocked a shot by LeBron James and stole the ball from him on consecutive possessions in the final minute, and the Milwaukee Bucks blew a fourth-quarter lead before rallying for a 105-101 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.

Kevin Porter Jr. scored 22 points, and he hit two free throws to break a tie after Antetokounmpo blocked a driving layup attempt by James with 39 seconds left.

Antetokounmpo then knocked the ball out of James' hands from behind with 2 seconds left, and Porter hit two more free throws to seal Milwaukee's fifth win in seven games — its first over a team with a winning record since Dec. 11. Antetokounmpo finished with 21 points in his lowest-scoring effort since returning from his right calf strain.

Luka Doncic had 24 points and nine assists on 8-of-25 shooting for the Lakers. He had his lowest-scoring performance since Christmas, and he fouled out on Porter's 3-point attempt with 16.2 seconds to play.

James had 26 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, but Antetokoumpo got the best of the top scorer in NBA history at crunch time. Los Angeles has lost six of 10.

Milwaukee surged to a double-digit lead in the first half even with Antetokounmpo on a minutes restriction in his injury return. Doncic scored 12 points in the third quarter but also committed four fouls in the period, including his fifth of the game.

Los Angeles abruptly erased its deficit by going on a 17-4 run to open the fourth, with James putting the Lakers ahead when he stole the ball from Antetokounmpo for a layup with 6:02 left. Milwaukee missed nine of its first 12 shots in the period, but Porter's layup tied it with two minutes left.

Lakers starters Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura remain sidelined by injury, but Hachimura (calf) might return early next week from his six-game absence, coach JJ Redick said.

Bucks: At Denver on Sunday.

Lakers: At Sacramento on Monday.

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

Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart, left, tries to shoot as Milwaukee Bucks guard Gary Trent Jr. defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic, left, and Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. go after a loose ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)