Two-time league MVP Giannis Antetkoounmpo is making a case for his third such honor with his superlative play this year for his Milwaukee Bucks.
On Saturday night, the eight-time All-Star returned to the floor for his first game in a week.
He helped his Bucks hand the lowly Washington Wizards their 14th straight defeat, a 124-114 victory at Fiserv Forum. The Eastern Conference's worst team by record (they're now 2-16), Washington nevertheless gave Milwaukee a fight throughout the game. Even as Milwaukee threatened to pull away midway through the third quarter, the game was never quite sewn up until the home stretch of the contest's final frame. The Bucks earned their sixth straight win, and their eight in their last nine games, while improving to a record better than .500 for the first time since an opening night victory against the injury-plagued Philadelphia 76ers.
But Antetokounmpo's individual achievement was the story.
For the first time in his career, the NBA's scoring leader notched a 40-point triple-double.
The 6-foot-11 superstar scored a game-high 42 points on 15-of-24 shooting from the field and a good-for-him 12-of-17 shooting from the foul line, grabbed 12 rebounds, dished out 10 assists and blocked a shot.