Giannis, Bucks drop 148 points on Wizards for 40th win
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 43 points, Eric Bledsoe had 22 points and 11 assists, and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Washington Wizards 148-129 on Wednesday night for their fifth consecutive victory.
The Bucks shot 60 percent (56 for 93) from the field and placed six players in double figures while becoming the first NBA team with 40 victories. Malcolm Brogdon had 18 points, and Khris Middleton finished with 16.
Washington trailed by as many as 25 in the first half, but closed to 120-113 on Chasson Randle's layup with 10:22 left.
Bledsoe helped finish off the Wizards with 10 points in a quick scoring flurry, including a dunk off a missed free throw by Antetokounmpo. He made a 3-pointer with 7:07 remaining to make it 138-118.
Bradley Beal led Washington with 30 points, and Thomas Bryant had 26. Jeff Green finished with 22 points for his fourth straight game with 20 or more.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Kevin Durant had 23 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, and Golden State ran away from San Antonio in the second and third quarters.
The two-time defending champions scored 49 points on 16 assists in the third quarter alone, making 5 of 7 3-pointers. They made 24 of 25 field goals in one blistering stretch spanning halftime — including 14 straight shots at one point.
Klay Thompson scored 26 points for Golden State, and Stephen Curry finished with 19 points, seven assists, five rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot.
Patty Mills scored 16 points with four 3s for San Antonio in the first game of a back-to-back. LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan got the night off.
DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 19 points in his third triple-double, Dorian Finney-Smith had 15 points and 10 rebounds and new-look Dallas made another move by trading Harrison Barnes while beating Charlotte.
Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 12 points in his Dallas debut after the blockbuster deal that brought Kristaps Porzingis from the New York Knicks.
Barnes played into the third quarter before reports of a trade with Sacramento surfaced. He was on the bench but didn't play in the fourth quarter. Barnes scored seven of his 10 points in the third.
Kemba Walker had 30 points and 11 rebounds for the Hornets, who got swept by Dallas after losing to the Mavericks by 38 points at home about a month ago.
NEW YORK (AP) — D'Angelo Russell had 27 points and 11 assists, and Brooklyn surpassed last season's win total by beating Denver.
Russell made six of the Nets' 19 3-pointers, one game after they made only five as a team in their poorest shooting performance of the season.
DeMarre Carroll added 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for Brooklyn (29-27), which got two key injured players back and led by 21 points in ending a three-game skid. Joe Harris scored 17 points and Treveon Graham had 16, with four 3-pointers.
Nikola Jokic had 25 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists in his 10th triple-double of the season for the Nuggets, who have lost two straight games to fall out of a tie for the Western Conference lead.
CHICAGO (AP) — Julius Randle scored 31 points, and New Orleans beat struggling Chicago with All-Star Anthony Davis watching from the bench.
Davis was healthy enough to return from a sprained left index finger that has sidelined him since Jan. 18. But the Pelicans opted to hold him out with Thursday's trade deadline approaching.
The six-time All-Star has made it known he wants out of New Orleans.
Randle scored 19 in a blistering fourth quarter and finished six points shy of his season high.
Jrue Holiday and Cheick Diallo each scored 18, and Chicago product Jahlil Okafor finished with 13 points.
Lauri Markkanen led Chicago with 30 points and 10 rebounds. Zach LaVine scored 28, and Kris Dunn added 18 points and eight assists.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — James Harden made eight 3-pointers and scored 36 points, helping Houston beat Sacramento.
The Rockets won their third straight game, and they appeared to be on the verge of adding Iman Shumpert to their array of talented shooters. Gerald Green matched his season high with 25 points, and Eric Gordon scored 20 points.
Houston, Sacramento and Cleveland were working on a trade that will most notably send Shumpert from the Kings to the Rockets.
Buddy Hield had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Kings.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 21 points and Joe Ingles had a career-high 11 assists, leading Utah past Phoenix.
Rudy Gobert added 16 points and 12 rebounds as Utah won for the fifth time in seven games. Ingles and reserve Royce O'Neale each finished with 15 points.
Phoenix committed 22 turnovers in its 12th straight loss. Josh Jackson matched his season high with 27 points, and DeAndre Ayton had 20 points and nine rebounds.
