LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo reeled off his third straight triple-double as the Milwaukee Bucks extended their winning streak to four games with a 133-122 victory over the Washington Wizards on Monday.
Antetokounmpo finished with 31 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in another MVP-caliber performance that came two days after his 33-point triple-double against the Wizards on Saturday.
“We feel like we’ve said it a lot after games for a good stretch of time now — he’s been in a good place mentally for a while,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said of Antetokounmpo’s performance at Washington’s Capital One Arena.
“The way he’s playing, creating for others, creating for himself. He’s just playing great basketball,” Budenholzer added.
Khris Middleton added 23 points for Milwaukee while center Brook Lopez finished with 22 as seven Bucks players cracked double figures.
Bradley Beal led Washington’s scoring with 37 points after going 13-of-19 from the field with four three-pointers.
Russell Westbrook finished with 23 points and 17 assists while Japan’s Rui Hachimura added 22 points for Washington.
Milwaukee improved to 25-14 with the win and remain third in the Eastern Conference behind Brooklyn and leaders Philadelphia.
Elsewhere Monday, James Harden bagged a triple-double and Kyrie Irving added 34 points as the Brooklyn Nets rolled to a fifth consecutive victory with a 117-112 win over the New York Knicks.
Harden finished with 21 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists in a superb individual display at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
Irving’s 34-point display was backed by Jeff Green (20 points) and Joe Harris with 13 points.
The Knicks meanwhile fell just short of a fourth quarter comeback after coming within three points of Brooklyn with 10 seconds remaining having trailed by 18 points earlier in the half.
Knicks forward Julius Randle needed to be restrained by team-mates at the buzzer after a controversial travelling call effectively handed Brooklyn the win.
Randle, who finished with 33 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, angrily kicked a chair over as he headed to the locker room following the loss.
© Agence France-Presse
