SPORT / MISCELLANY
Bucks get better of Wizards
Harden takes over as Nets hold off Pistons
Published: Mar 14, 2021 04:03 PM
Giannis Antetokounmpo (No.34) of the Milwaukee Bucks drives to the basket against the Washington Wizards on Saturday in Washington DC. Photo: VCG

Giannis Antetokounmpo (No.34) of the Milwaukee Bucks drives to the basket against the Washington Wizards on Saturday in Washington DC. Photo: VCG

Giannis Antetokounmpo's triple-double of 33 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists propelled the Milwaukee bucks to a 125-119 NBA victory over Washington on Saturday, despite Russell Westbrook's 42-point triple-double for the Wizards.

Westbrook added 10 rebounds and 12 assists for Washington, but even with his league-leading 11th triple-double of the season the Wizards missed the production of NBA leading scorer Bradley Beal, who sat out with a sore knee.

Jrue Holiday added 10 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter for Milwaukee as the Bucks held on in the back-and-forth battle despite a fierce late challenge from the Wizards, who knotted the score at 119-119 with 41 seconds remaining.

Milwaukee's Khris Middleton made two free throws with 32.9 seconds to play then forced a driving Westbrook into a miss with 25 seconds left.

On the other end, Middleton drained two more free throws to help the Bucks seal the win.

Antetokounmpo's triple-­double was his second straight and his sixth of the season.

He was just one of eight Bucks players to score in double figures as Milwaukee won their third straight and solidify their hold on third place in the East behind the Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets - who beat the ­Detroit Pistons 100-95 on Saturday.

James Harden scored 12 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter on the way to his ninth triple-double since joining the Nets this season.

Harden added 10 rebounds and 10 assists and the Nets hung on after the Pistons took a one-point lead with less than three minutes remaining to pull off the gritty win.

Kyrie Irving added 18 points for the Nets, who remained without star Kevin Durant as he recovers from a hamstring strain.

The game was tied at 92-92 with 1:47 remaining. Two Harden baskets - the second after a steal by Irving, put the Nets up 96-92, and his floater with 19.1 seconds left put Brooklyn up 98-93.

Two free-throws from Harden effectively sealed the win.

The New York Knicks notched their 20th win of the season, 119-97 over the Thunder in Oklahoma City, on the back of Julius Randle's second triple-double of the season.

Randle scored 26 points with 12 rebounds and 12 assists, becoming the first Knicks player since Mark Jackson in 1987-88 to post multiple triple-doubles in the same season.

R.J. Barrett added a career-best 32 points on 12-of-21 shooting as the Knicks bounced back from a 33-point loss to the Bucks on Thursday.