by WASHINGTON — Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 23 points, had a season-high 13 assists and rebounded his intentionally missed shot with a second left shot for his fourth triple-double of the season as the NBA-leading Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Washington Wizards 117-111 Sunday Night.
Jevon Carter added 20 points while shooting 6 of 10 from beyond the arc, and Jrue Holiday scored 19 in Milwaukee’s one-night win after a home loss to Philadelphia broke a 16-game winning streak.
It was just over when Antetokounmpo dribbled to the basket and easily threw the ball off the board to himself for his 10th rebound.
“I thought about kicking the ball but I feel that in situations like this it’s best to keep the ball,” said Antetokounmpo. “But yeah, I’m just trying to play the game smart and kind of stole one.”
The Bucks made 22 of their 49 attempts over the arc, the most allowed by the Wizards this season, while moving 1½ games ahead of Boston for first place in the Eastern Conference.
“We feel like we have a lot of depth,” said Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer, who had six players hit multiple 3s. “We have a lot of guys who are good shooters who can get hot from the 3-point line. So that’s part of a good team and being able to play back-to-back and make it through the season and be prepared for the playoffs.”
Bradley Beal scored 33 points for the Wizards, who remain in 10th place in the East and are in line for the final play-in tournament spot. Kristaps Porzingis added 24 points and 14 rebounds for Washington, who lost at home for the second time in two nights.
“I’m happy with how hard we played and what we’re offering to our fans,” Porzingis said after Washington closed an early 17-point deficit to make the game competitive. “Even though we had those two tough defeats, I think we can take something positive from these games.”
The Wizards gradually reduced the Bucks’ 11-point halftime lead and eventually took the lead after a run that stretched through the late third and early fourth quarters.
The Bucks responded with five straight baskets, including two 3s each from Carter and Grayson Allen, to retake the lead. Then Allen and Joe Ingles hit from beyond the arc again during another 12-4 stretch that sealed the game.
“It just took the ones that were there,” Carter said. “It felt like when I brought it down they kept backing away, so I just wanted to be aggressive when I was making the shot.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
