Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded his second triple-double of the season as the Milwaukee Bucks went wire-to-wire to beat the visiting Indiana Pacers.
The two-time NBA Most Valuable Player claimed 37 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists as the Bucks won 129-117 on Friday to improve to a 2-0 record in the NBA Cup.
Damian Lillard added 24 points and 13 assists for his third straight double-double, and the result means Milwaukee has won five of its last six since opening the season with a 2-8 record.
They had six players in double figures for points, with Antetokounmpo, 29, recording his 47th career triple-double.
Jaylen Brown had 31 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Boston Celtics to a 108-96 win at the obstinate Washington Wizards.
Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday each added 16 points for last season’s NBA champions, who have won three straight overall and are 2-1 in the NBA Cup.
James Harden had 22 points and nine assists as the Los Angeles Clippers extended their winning streak to four games with a 104-88 victory against the visiting Sacrament Kings.
The Clippers were without leading scorer Norman Powell due to a hamstring strain and are now 1-1 in the in-season tournament, which ends next month with the semifinals and championship game played in Las Vegas.
Jared McCain declared to the crowd that he is “the rookie of the year” after scoring a three-pointer in the Philadelphia 76ers’ 113-98 win over the visiting Brooklyn Nets.
The 20-year-old, who was the 16th overall draft pick in June, scored 30 points as the Sixers snapped a five-game losing streak, despite playing without Joel Embiid and Paul George.
McCain posted his seventh consecutive game scoring 20-plus points, joining Embiid, Allen Iverson, Jerry Stackhouse and Lee Shaffer as the only rookies in franchise history to accomplish that feat,
