It was billed as the battle of potential NBA MVP’s going in and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Rockets guard James Harden didn’t disappoint.
Harden started slow but picked up steam and finished with 42 points and 11 rebounds. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 27 points and 21 rebounds, including some clutch baskets down the stretch to help the Milwaukee Bucks pull out a 116-109 win in Houston.
The Bucks led by as many as 15 in the fourth quarter, but Houston cut it to three points. That’s when Antetokounmpo came up with a big tip-in and some key free throws down the stretch to preserve the victory. Harden went 0 for 4 in the final two minutes from three-point distance. Antetokounmpo made 11 of his 14 free throw attempts on the night.
Malcolm Brogdon added 24 points on 9 of 12 shooting. The Bucks scored 70 points in the paint, including all of Brogdon’s 24.
The Bucks improved to 29-11 on the season. They’ll travel to Washington D.C. to face the Wizards on Friday night.
