MILWAUKEE (AP) — Kyle Kuzma scored a season-high 31 points and Bobby Portis added 27 points and 10 rebounds as the Milwaukee Bucks rallied in the second half to defeat the Boston Celtics 116-101 on Thursday night without injured star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Portis hit a pair of 3-pointers from the left corner as Milwaukee opened the fourth quarter with an 8-2 run to go in front 95-82. Another 3 by Portis put the Bucks up 106-89 with 6:49 remaining.
Click to Gallery
Milwaukee Bucks' Ryan Rollins (13) shoots against Boston Celtics' Jaylen Brown (7) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
Milwaukee Bucks' Ryan Rollins (13) drives to the basket between Boston Celtics' Jordan Walsh (27) and Hugo Gonzalez (28) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo smiles from the bench during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
Milwaukee Bucks' Kevin Porter Jr. (7) drives to the basket against Boston Celtics' Josh Minott (8) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
Milwaukee Bucks' Kyle Kuzma (18) drives to the basket against Boston Celtics' Neemias Queta during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
Portis hit 11 of 13 shots, including 5 of 6 beyond the arc, in 26 minutes. Kevin Porter Jr. had 18 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists.
Jaylen Brown scored 30 points and Jordan Walsh added 20 for the Celtics, whose five-game winning streak ended.
Milwaukee improved to 2-7 this season without Antetokounmpo, who missed his third consecutive game with a strained right calf. Antetokounmpo, who's averaging 28.9 points and 10.1 rebounds, is expected to miss two to four weeks.
Boston led 67-60 at the half. Kuzma scored nine points to fuel an 11-0 spurt that brought the Bucks even at 71-all midway through the third quarter.
Milwaukee, which trailed by 10 in the first quarter, pulled within 30-29, but the Celtics responded with a 23-9 run, going in front 52-38 on Payton Pritchard’s 3-pointer with just under seven minutes left in the half.
Pritchard and Walsh each hit three 3-pointers in the first half. However, the Celtics went cold from 3-point range, finishing 14 of 49 (28.6%).
Celtics: Host the Detroit Pistons on Monday.
Bucks: Visit the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Milwaukee Bucks' Ryan Rollins (13) shoots against Boston Celtics' Jaylen Brown (7) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
Milwaukee Bucks' Ryan Rollins (13) drives to the basket between Boston Celtics' Jordan Walsh (27) and Hugo Gonzalez (28) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo smiles from the bench during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
Milwaukee Bucks' Kevin Porter Jr. (7) drives to the basket against Boston Celtics' Josh Minott (8) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
Milwaukee Bucks' Kyle Kuzma (18) drives to the basket against Boston Celtics' Neemias Queta during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
TORONTO (AP) — Canada's governing Liberals were one seat short of a simple majority in Parliament after a Conservative lawmaker defected and joined Prime Minister Mark Carney’s party Thursday.
Michael Ma was the second Canadian Conservative opposition lawmaker to join the Liberals in just over a month. Ma, who represents Markham–Unionville, said he entered politics “to focus on solutions, not division.”
“I have concluded that Prime Minister Mark Carney is offering the steady, practical approach we need to deliver on the priorities I hear every day while door knocking in Markham–Unionville,” Ma said in his statement.
His move puts the Liberals one seat shy of a majority government and being able to pass any bill without the support of an opposition party.
Carney joined hands and welcomed Ma at the Liberal Party Christmas party on Thursday night.
“Wow, such a big welcome,” Ma said.
Carney noted his coalition of supporters is growing.
“You are going to have a much better time spending Christmas with us than Christmas with the Kranks. We are all about Santa, not about the Grinch,” Carney joked.
The defection is a blow to Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who is facing a leadership review vote in January. Poilievre lost the last election in April and even his own seat in Parliament, but has since rejoined the House of Commons.
“Michael Ma was elected as a Conservative by the constituents of Markham-Unionville to fight against Liberal inflationary spending driving up the cost of living in his community,” Poilievre said in a statement on social media. “Today, he chose to endorse the very policies he was elected to oppose.”
Poilievre has lost three Conservative lawmakers in recent weeks. A third Conservative announced his resignation after talking to Carney about possibly crossing the floor.
Until this year, Poilievre was seen as a shoo-in to become Canada’s next prime minister and shepherd his Conservative Party back into power for the first time in a decade. Then, President Donald Trump declared economic war on the U.S.’s neighbor to the north and even threatened to make Canada the 51st state.
Carney has moved the Liberals to the center since replacing Justin Trudeau as prime minister and winning national elections.
“Two floor crossings in such a short period of time is rare, and other defections are always possible so the Conservative establishment must be extremely nervous right now,” said Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal.
“If another Conservative MP would cross the floor to join the Liberals, they would have a majority government, which would probably mean no federal elections any time soon and give more time to Poilievre’s adversaries within the Conservative Party of Canada to organize against him.”
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, right, shakes hands with Michael Ma, Member of Parliament for Markham-Unionville, who crossed the floor from the Conservatives to the Liberals hours earlier, as he brings him on stage at the Liberal caucus holiday party in Ottawa, Ontario, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)
Prime Minister Mark Carney reacts as Michael Ma, Member of Parliament for Markham-Unionville, who crossed the floor from the Conservatives to the Liberals hours earlier, makes brief remarks at the Liberal caucus holiday party in Ottawa, on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre stands in the House of Commons during Question Period on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)
Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney delivers remarks during the annual Equal Voice gala in Ottawa, Ontario, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)
