Top Stories

• Giannis has Milwaukee on his back

• Mavs keep rolling without Luka

• Have the Warriors fallen back to earth?

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Games of the day

Last Night’s Top Games! (link to the box scores of every game from yesterday)

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 42 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in his return to Milwaukee’s lineup and the Bucks won their sixth in a row by beating the struggling Washington Wizards 124-114. Antetokounmpo had missed the Bucks' 106-103 NBA Cup victory at Miami on Tuesday due to swelling in his left knee. The two-time MVP has three triple-doubles in the last six games he has played. Antetokounmpo had 22 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists in a 115-114 loss at Charlotte on Nov. 16. He had 37 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in a 129-117 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Nov. 22. Damian Lillard added 25 points and 10 assists while Brook Lopez scored 18 points on Saturday. Jordan Poole had 31 points Malcolm Brogdon added 29 points and 11 rebounds for the Wizards, who have lost 14 straight. Since losing eight of their first 10 games, the Bucks have come all the way back to get above .500 (10-9) for the first time since winning their season opener.

Kyrie Irving scored 30 points and Quentin Grimes had 24 points to power the short-handed Dallas Mavericks over the Utah Jazz 106-94 on. Dallas led the entire game despite playing without Luka Doncic (right wrist), Klay Thompson (left foot) and Dante Exum (right wrist). Naji Marshall left in the second quarter and didn’t return because of illness. P.J. Washington had 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Mavericks, who have won four of five games — all without Doncic. The Jazz have lost seven of their last eight games. Lauri Markkanen scored 19 points and Walker Kessler had 18 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks for Utah. The Mavericks led by as many as 20 in the first quarter, thanks to Grimes' quick start with four 3s in the quarter.

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League News

Around the League

• Devin Booker scored 27 points, Kevin Durant added 21 and the Phoenix Suns beat the Golden State Warriors 113-105. Tyus Jones added 19 points and nine assists, making 7 of 9 shots, including 4 of 5 3-pointers. Grayson Allen added 17. The Suns made 18 of 35 (51.4%) shots from 3-point range. Golden State has lost four in a row. Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 23 points but shot just 8 of 20 from the field. Andrew Wiggins added 18 points while Draymond Green had 13 points. The Warriors trailed by 17 at halftime but cut the margin to 85-78 by the start of the fourth quarter after Curry poured in 15 points. Golden State went on a 9-0 run late in the fourth quarter to pull within 105-99 but Durant made a 3-pointer with 1:42 left to turn back the rally. The Suns led 66-49 at halftime after making 14 of 21 (66.7%) of their 3-pointers. Phoenix was playing without starters Bradley Beal (calf) and Jusuf Nurkic (quad). Golden State's in a bit of a funk these days after starting the season with a 12-3 record. The Warriors have to play Denver next, and that could be their chance to bounce back. Was that hot start a fluke? Or is this just a bad slump for a good team.

• Injury Updates: Kawhi Leonard (knee) is out indefinitely, and his recovery might “take longer than expected” according to the team. Khris Middleton (ankle) will miss longer than expected. James Wiseman tore his achilles and will be out indefinitely. Taylor Hendricks (leg and ankle) suffered a fractured fibia and dislocated ankle and will be out for the season. Paolo Banchero (oblique) has a tear and will be out indefinitely, and re-evaluated in 3-4 weeks. Herb Jones (shoulder) will be out for a minimum of 2-3 weeks. Isaiah Jackson (achilles) will be out for the season. Jeremy Sochan (thumb) underwent surgery to repair a fracture and will be out indefinitely. Aaron Gordon (hamstring) will miss multiple weeks. Zion Williamson (hamstring) will be out multiple weeks. Chet Holmgren (hip) suffered a fracture and will be out 8-10 weeks. DeAnthony Melton (ACL) underwent surgery and will be out for the season. Grant Williams (ACL) suffered a tear and will be out for the season. LaMelo Ball (calf) will be out at least 2 weeks. We wish all these guys speedy and successful recoveries.

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NBA MVP Ladder

1. Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets

Last Ladder: No. 1
Season stats: 29.7 ppg, 13.1 rpg, 10.6 apg

His case: After a signature 34-point, 13-rebound effort in a win over the Lakers, “The Joker” and the Nuggets had a momentary stumble and were humbled in a blowout loss to the Knicks.

Afterward, Nuggets coach Michael Malone challenged him to respond, and Jokić did so with a 30-point takedown of the Jazz. He remains among the league leaders in points, rebounds and assists.

2. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

Last Ladder: No. 2
Season stats: 28.4 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 5.8 apg

His case: Another steady week for Tatum secures the runner-up position for now. The only drawback was his efficiency as he missed all 10 of his 3-pointers in a win over the Wizards.

Even when he struggles with his shooting, Tatum manages to find other ways to contribute. His rebounding average is high for a small forward, and over his last five games, he’s nearly averaging a double-double.

3. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers

Last Ladder: No. 3
Season stats: 29.2 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 1.9 bpg

His case: He had a humbling matchup against Jokić last week when he shot poorly, scored just 14 points and delivered his first substandard game of the season in a loss to the Nuggets. That it happened against the MVP favorite only magnified that situation.

Still: Davis followed up with a pair of double-doubles and overall this season is impacting both ends of the floor far better than most. He’d better watch out, though, because No. 4 on this list is threatening a takeover.

4. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Last Ladder: No. 4
Season stats: 32.4 ppg, 11.9 rpg, 6.4 apg

His case: Antetokounmpo exits Thanksgiving as the league’s leading scorer, making 60% of his shots on high volume, which is incredibly impressive. In the two games since the last Ladder, he scored 69 points combined with 21 rebounds to lead the Bucks’ seasonable comeback from a 2-8 start.

The schedule gets easier; between now and Jan. 10, Milwaukee only has two games against teams (Boston and Cleveland) currently with a winning record. If the Bucks keep surging, their win-loss record won’t be held against Giannis anymore.

5. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Last Ladder: No. 5
Season stats: 29.5 ppg, 6.4 apg, 1.7 spg

His case: Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 or more points in four of his last five games, proving his high-level consistency is thriving. It doesn’t hurt that OKC remains at the top of the West, partly helped by Shai’s 35 points Wednesday to hold off the No. 3 Warriors.

He failed to score at least 20 points only once this season, and that came in an easy win over the Spurs where OKC really didn’t need much from him.

The Next 5:

6. Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns
7. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
8. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
9. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
10. LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets

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Fantasy Leaders

Walker Kessler makes his Top 3 debut

Overtime Thoughts