Bucks at Wizards
The All-Star break did nothing to slow the Milwaukee Bucks' momentum and they'll look to improve to 3-0 since the intermission when they visit the Washington Wizards on Monday. Behind 31 points and 17 rebounds from superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks strolled past Philadelphia 119-98 on Saturday to move a season-high 40 games over .500.
"I'm just trying to get better, because I know that my team wants me to be better, and I know when getting better I can help my team win easily, put them in the right spots easily," Antetokounmpo told reporters. "We've got 26 more games until the playoffs. Just try to take as much of these 26 games, play good basketball, learn as much as possible, take notes, watch clips, so I can make my mind stronger and smarter - and that's pretty much it." Fellow All-Star Khris Middleton added 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting for Milwaukee, which visits second-place Toronto on Tuesday in the finale of the two-game road trip. Before that, the Bucks will contend with a Wizards squad that is 0-2 since the break after dropping a 126-117 decision in Chicago on Sunday despite a career-high 53-point effort by Bradley Beal. Davis Bertans chipped in 22 points for Washington, which shot 50.7 percent from the field but committed 24 turnovers in the loss.
TIME: 7 p.m. ET. TV: FS Wisconsin, NBCS Washington, NBA TV Canada
ABOUT THE BUCKS (48-8): Antetokounmpo also had eight assists in his 29 electrifying minutes Saturday night, outplaying 76ers star center Joel Embiid after the latter had boasted that he was the best player in the world. "Everybody should feel that way," Antetokounmpo told reporters of Embiid's comment. "But at the end of the day, you've got to go on the court, and if you feel that way, you've got to show it; so there's nothing wrong with Joel feeling like he's the best player in the world." Milwaukee didn't even need Antetokounmpo in the first meeting with the Wizards, as the reigning MVP sat out with a shoulder injury and watched Middleton score a career-high 51 points in a 151-131 win - the Bucks' best offensive effort in a regulation game in nearly 41 years.
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (20-35): Beal made 15-of-27 shot attempts and went 18-of-20 from the foul line in Sunday's loss while bumping his scoring average this month to 33.9. The 26-year-old also moved past Jeff Malone and into second place on the franchise's all-time scoring list, 4,448 points behind leader Elvin Hayes. Beal's previous season high was a 47-point showing in the 20-point loss to the Bucks on Jan. 28.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Bucks SG Kyle Korver (back) has missed three straight games and has already been ruled out for Monday's game and Tuesday's visit to Toronto.
2. Bertans was 5-of-11 from 3-point range against Chicago after going 6-for-22 over his previous three contests.
3. The teams play two more times in a seven-day span in March.