<p>ATLANTA &mdash; Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 15 points in his return to the Milwaukee lineup and got plenty of help from his teammates as the Bucks cooled off the surging Atlanta Hawks 120-109 Thursday night.</p>
<p>Antetokounmpo had missed six games with an ailing left knee before <a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1382841308109234178">getting cleared to return</a> in Atlanta, where he starred in the NBA All-Star Game last month.</p>
<p>He played 25 minutes in his return, hitting <a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1382846603355119629">7 of 12 shots</a> to go along with five rebounds, three steals, two assists and a block. He didn’t have to carry too much of a load as the Bucks put seven players in double figures, led by Jrue Holiday with 23 points.</p>
<p>The Hawk got as close as 113-105 with just over 2 minutes remaining, but the Bucks sealed the victory with a sequence in which they claimed three straight offensive rebounds, the last of them leading to a put-back bunk by Brook Lopez. </p>
<p>Pat Connaughton finished off the Hawks with a 3-pointer.</p>
<p>Bogdan Bogdanovic led the Hawks with 28 points, hitting six 3-pointers. <a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1382864842348974080">Trae Young</a> returned after missing two games with a calf injury but had a terrible night, connecting on just 3 of 17 shots.</p>
<p>The Hawks lost for only the sixth time in 22 games since Nate McMillan took over as interim coach.</p>
<p>Antetokounmpo added another good memory from State Farm Arena. He was MVP of the All-Star Game, hitting all 16 of his shots for 35 points — the most baskets without a miss in the history of the midseason showcase.</p>
<p>The Bucks stretched their lead for third place in the Eastern Conference to 6 1/2 games over the fourth-place Hawks.</p>
<p>Milwaukee led by as many as 14 in the first half, settling for a 64-52 edge at the break.</p>
<p>Getting hot from long range, Atlanta quickly erased the deficit in the third. Bogdanovic knocked down a 3-pointer to put the Hawks ahead 74-73 near the midway point of the period — Atlanta’s first lead since the opening minutes.</p>
<p>But, in a game of spurts, Milwaukee quickly regained the momentum and pushed the margin at the end of the third to exactly where it stood at halftime, 94-82. </p>
<p>The Bucks wrapped up a stretch in which they played nine of 10 on the road.</p>
<p>TIP-INS</p>
<p>Bucks: Lopez had 19 points and 12 rebounds. … Connaughton made four 3-pointers and finished with 14 points. </p>
<p>Hawks: F Danilo Gallinari missed his third straight game with a foot injury. … Atlanta also played again without John Collins, De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish, all out with longer-term injuries.</p>
<p>UP NEXT</p>
<p>Bucks: Return to Milwaukee on Saturday for just their second home game in the past three weeks. They will host the Memphis Grizzlies to start a four-game homestand..</p>
<p>Hawks: Host the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.</p>
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