Kellen Thames scored 16 points and No. 18 Saint Louis rallied from a 10-point deficit in the second half for an 88-75 win over VCU on Friday night in a game in which both benches emptied in the final seconds.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 32 points and the Milwaukee Bucks opened the defense of their first title in half a century by beating the Brooklyn Nets 127-104 on Tuesday.