Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 23 points, collected eight rebounds and dished out eight assists as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Nets 111-93 in their NBA game on Thursday night (Friday AEDT).
Jabari Parker added 22 points for the Bucks and Matthew Dellavedova scored nine points to go with four assists to help Milwaukee to their third straight win.
"You have special players that we come across: LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan," Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. "You've got different players that are rare and I think Giannis is one of those rare birds that we'll be able to enjoy for a long time."
Brook Lopez scored 15 points, Sean Kilpatrick had 14 and Bojan Bogdanovic added 13 for the Nets, who outlasted the Los Angeles Clippers in overtime on Tuesday and were trying to win consecutive games for the first time this season.
"If you're going to come out flat, that's how it's going to happen, especially in the NBA," Kilpatrick said. "That's all the stuff that happens, especially if you come out flat and you're not playing with no type of energy. Once a team sees that, it's like being in the ocean and you're bleeding. A whole bunch of sharks keep jumping on you if they see that."
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Bucks rookie Thon Maker missed his only shot but made one block in his two minutes of court time.
In Salt Lake City, a quiet night from Australian point guard Dante Exum, who went one-from-six to score five points, contributed to Utah Jazz's 111-110 loss against Miami Heat.
Goran Dragic scored 27 points as the Heat continued to play better on the road.
James Johnson scored a season-high 24 points off the bench and Wayne Ellington added 17 for the Heat, who have five of their seven wins on the road.
The Jazz had the ball with 3.9 seconds remaining and Gordon Hayward missed a contested mid-range jumper before time expired.
Hayward had 32 points and seven assists. Joe Johnson chipped in 18 points as the Jazz lost despite knocking down a franchise-record 17 3-pointers in 30 attempts.
George Hill did not play due to a sprained left big toe, which allowed Exum to return to the starting lineup.
Exum had played less than nine minutes in the previous four games, including not playing at all on Monday.
Jazz coach Quin Snyder said Exum isn't playing as much after starting 41 games as a rookie, in part, due to an improved roster. Still, Exum has struggled this season.
"He's probably tired of me talking to him," Snyder said. "You can't talk to a player every time there's any kind of change.
"By and large I'd like to think our guys have a clear understanding of what we want from them individually and how that fits into what we're trying to do as a team.
"Dante's going through some things right now that are akin to what a lot of people go through as a rookie.
"People just need to be patient and understand who he is and where he is. In a lot of ways he's better than he was his rookie year."
In Oakland, James Harden notched his fourth triple-double of the season with 29 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists, and the Houston Rockets outlasted the Warriors 132-127 in double overtime to end Golden State's 12-game winning streak.
Harden put his team ahead on a 30-footer with 3:12 left in the second overtime and hit a pair of free throws with 2:10 to go following a flagrant foul on Draymond Green.
Eric Gordon scored 23 off the bench as Houston snapped an eight-game skid to the Warriors, who lost MVP Stephen Curry with 3:25 left in the last extra session when he was whistled for a charge. Ryan Anderson also scored 29 with five three-pointers and the teams combined to shoot 88 threes, 44 apiece.
Kevin Durant matched his season high with 39 points to go with 13 rebounds. Green had 20 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists.
Elsewhere on Friday AEDT, Los Angeles Clippers beat Cleveland Cavaliers 113-94, Memphis beat Orlando 95-94 and Charlotte beat a Dallas side playing without Andrew Bogut, who was rested, 97-87.
