Giannis Antetokounmpo Shines as Bucks Beat Red-Hot James Harden, Rockets

The Milwaukee Bucks earned their seventh win in eight games, defeating the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night at Toyota Center in Houston.

The game featured a battle of MVP contenders, with James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo sitting first and second respectively in NBA.com's MVP Ladder. Harden finished with 42 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, while Antetokounmpo posted 27 points and a career-high 21 rebounds.

Malcolm Brogdon and Khris Middleton provided support for Antetokounmpo in the victory, scoring 24 and 15 points apiece.

James Harden Widening Gap on Giannis in MVP Race

Although the Rockets lost, the result didn't really hurt Harden's MVP campaign. If anything, his case grew stronger because his absence is essentially what turned the game in Milwaukee's favor. Harden went to the bench in the third quarter with one minute, 39 seconds remaining and the game tied at 83. The Bucks closed out the quarter on a 9-0 run.

When Harden was on the court, the Bucks flummoxed him for stretches by shading so much to his left that he had no choice but to drive to the basket with his right hand. The strategy isn't novel, but Milwaukee is one of the few teams with the length to make it work.

Despite their best efforts, the Bucks still couldn't effectively nullify Harden's impact on the game. The Bucks looked to be free and clear in the fourth quarter after building a 15-point lead with 7:35 left. Then the reigning MVP caught fire to bring Houston back.

It speaks to the level Harden's playing at that holding him to 42 points on 13-of-30 shooting, including 6-of-16 from beyond the arc, is likely to be considered among some fans as a good defensive performance for Milwaukee.

Giannis was incredible in his own right. If a player can have an understated 20-20 game, then that's exactly what happened for the Greek Freak on Wednesday.

But in terms of which of the two is more valuable to his respective team, Harden showed why he's the more deserving MVP candidate to this point in the season.

Offensive Balance Key to Bucks' NBA Finals Quest

As much as the Bucks leaned on Antetokounmpo, their overall balance is what brought the win home against the Rockets. Six different players scored in double figures, with Ersan Ilyasova and Sterling Brown coming off the bench to score 23 combined points.

Brogdon in particular was excellent. According to ESPN.com, the Bucks were plus-20 with him on the court. He shot 9-of-12 from the field and padded his stat line with five rebounds, three assists and a steal.

Antetokounmpo is so good he might be able to single-handedly carry Milwaukee into the NBA Finals. His lack of perimeter shooting is something teams can expose in the postseason, though. He shot 28.6 percent from beyond the arc in last year's playoffs as the Boston Celtics knocked the Bucks out in seven games.

This year, Milwaukee is in a far stronger position to challenge for the Eastern Conference crown, and the team's supporting cast is a big reason why.

Brogdon is averaging a career-high 15.7 points, Brook Lopez is hitting 37.4 percent of his three-pointers, and Middleton continues to be the kind of selfless scorer who fits perfectly as the No. 2 option behind Antetokounmpo.

On Wednesday night, the Rockets had the best individual player in Harden, but it wasn't enough to overcome a Bucks team that could count on multiple players to hit big shots.

What's Next?

The Bucks move on to the second leg of their three-game road trip. They take on the Washington Wizards on Friday in the nation's capital. The Rockets welcome the Cleveland Cavaliers into Houston on Friday.