Giannis Antetokounmpo had an outstanding performance, recording his third triple-double of the season with 42 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Washington Wizards 124-114 on Saturday night, extending their winning streak to six games.
Damian Lillard added 25 points and 10 assists, Brook Lopez scored 18 points, AJ Green came off the bench for 13 points, and Taurean Prince contributed 11 points. This victory marked the Bucks’ eighth win in their last nine games.
Antetokounmpo achieved his first career 40-point triple-double, making 15 of 24 shots from the field.
Washington’s losing streak reached 14 games, and they are now just two losses away from tying their franchise record of 16 consecutive losses. The Wizards struggled with their shooting, making only 28.1 percent (9-for-32) of their three-point attempts.
Jordan Poole led the Wizards with 31 points. Malcolm Brogdon, a former Bucks player, posted season highs of 29 points and 11 rebounds, while Jonas Valanciunas and Corey Kispert each scored 16 points.
With 4:57 remaining in the game, the Wizards pulled within 105-103 after a 9-2 run. However, Milwaukee responded with 10 unanswered points, including back-to-back three-pointers from Prince and Lopez to give the Bucks a 115-103 lead with 1:29 left.
Milwaukee’s win moved them over .500 for the first time since their season opener on Oct. 23. The Bucks shot 51.2 percent from the field and made 16 of 35 three-point attempts (45.7 percent).
Antetokounmpo returned after missing one game due to a left knee issue and scored 15 points in the first quarter. Poole had 12 points for Washington, which led 29-28 at the end of the first quarter.
Lillard hit a fadeaway jumper at the buzzer to end the second quarter, giving the Bucks a 63-58 lead at halftime. Lillard had 18 points in the first half, while Poole scored 17 for the Wizards.
The Bucks extended their lead to 83-73 with Bobby Portis’ three-pointer at 4:32 left in the third quarter, but Washington fought back and trailed 92-86 heading into the final period.
Washington played without forward Kyle Kuzma, who was sidelined with a left rib sprain.
