Giannis Antetokounmpo vs. Nikola Jokić Duel Thrills NBA Fans as Bucks Beat Nuggets

In a battle between former MVPs on Monday night, Giannis Antetokounmpo emerged victorious.

Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks defeated Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets by the final score of 112-95.

The 2021 NBA Finals MVP was a force on the glass, grabbing 18 rebounds in addition to his game-high 36 points. He also dished out five assists while recording two blocks and three steals, showing why he's a former Defensive Player of the Year.

Although Damian Lillard connected on just six of his 15 shots, Antetokounmpo helped carry the scoring load as he did all of his damage inside the arc. Fans applauded his dominant performance.

Jokić nearly finished with a triple-double, dropping 29 points and 12 rebounds to go along with eight assists. He hit 52 percent of his field goals and 40 percent of his looks from behind the arc, although head coach Michael Malone's squad struggled to hit shots all night long. As a team, the Nuggets connected on just 28 percent of their triples.

Milwaukee moved to 35-19, as the Bucks have now won two games in a row under new head coach Doc Rivers. Meanwhile, Denver fell to 36-18 and currently sits in fourth place in a tight race at the top of the Western Conference standings.