Miles Plumlee delighted to go from insurance policy to important part …

When Miles Plumlee came over from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Charlotte Hornets last week in a trade, he’d been the equivalent of a highly-paid insurance policy. The Bucks had given Plumlee a four-year, $50 million free agent contract last summer but had rarely played him as he was averaging 9.7 minutes per game while playing in 32 of Milwaukee’s first 48 games.

Kuchar starts hot in Arizona

Matt Kuchar eagled the par-5 13th and added two late birdies and a big par save on the rowdy par-3 16th hole to take the first-round lead in the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Kuchar shot a 7-under 64 in perfect afternoon conditions at TPC Scottsdale for a one-stroke lead over defending champion Hideki Matsuyama and Brendan Steele.

How the Plumlee trade affects Milwaukee’s Cap

When Milwaukee signed Miles Plumlee to a 4-year/$50 million dollar contract this summer, many raised their eyebrows not at a re-signing, but at the pricey figure they had to pay. As Plumlee’s remained either chained to the bench or as noticeable as a gnat while on court, the combination of years and heavy cap hit was putting a strain on Milwaukee’s salary cap going forward.

Antetokounmpo scores 31 in Bucks’ 127-114 win over Rockets

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 31 points, Jabari Parker had 28 and the Milwaukee Bucks snapped a five-game losing streak with a 127-114 victory over the Houston Rockets on Monday night. James Harden just missed a triple-double with 26 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds for Houston, which fell to 1-1 on its five-game road trip.