Milwaukee Bucks

Sitting only 1.5 games clear of the Boston Celtics (52-23) in the race for the top seed in the East, and the best record in the league, the Bucks (53-21) will also welcome back veteran point guard Goran Dragic on a minutes restriction after six weeks on the sidelines because of a left-knee problem.

As well as the top seed, Milwaukee also have a chance to match or beat their best record in the Antetokounmpo era, but they will need to go undefeated in their last eight games to eclipse the 60-22 mark from the 2018-19 campaign. They can tie it by going 7-1.

Antetokounmpo is viewed as an outside chance to swoop in and claim the MVP award ahead of reigning back-to-back winner Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid, and he is not the only Bucks player trending towards some silverware.

Holiday will almost assuredly be selected to his fifth NBA All-Defensive team, where he will be joined by team-mate and Defensive Player of the Year favourite Brook Lopez, who is averaging a career-high 2.5 blocks per game in his 15th season.

The defending NBA champion Bucks renew acquaintances at Barclays Center on Friday with the team they edged in an engrossing Eastern Conference semi-final series last year.

Both Milwaukee and Brooklyn are looking up at the Chicago Bulls, with the Eastern Conference's surprise package continuing to lead the way.

Yet the Bucks and the Nets remain favourites to contest the Conference Finals this season, and their second meeting of the campaign will provide another measuring stick as to who has the edge.

The Nets will not have the unvaccinated Kyrie Irving, who made his season debut against the Indiana Pacers but cannot play in home games due to New York's vaccine mandate.

However, in Kevin Durant they have the NBA's leader in points per game (30.0), and his tussle with Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo - himself averaging 27.9 - promises to be unmissable.

Durant, team-mate James Harden and Antetokounmpo will be the star attractions in Brooklyn, yet some supposed lesser lights could have a decisive say in this marquee matchup.

PIVOTAL PERFORMERS

Milwaukee Bucks - Jrue Holiday

Holiday has been key to the Bucks' recent surge, scoring at least 20 points in five of their last eight games, registering three double-doubles in that span.

Excelling as both a scorer and facilitator, the Bucks will likely need Holiday firing on all cylinders for the offense to perform at its best against the Nets.

Brooklyn Nets - LaMarcus Aldridge

Veteran big Aldridge recently revealed he is still suffering from coronavirus symptoms despite clearing the NBA's protocols.

The Nets could certainly use Aldridge at full strength given what he has offered on the defensive end this season. His 4.3 defensive rebounds per game trail only Durant and Harden among Nets players, and he is second on the team in blocked shots with an average of 1.11.

KEY BATTLE - Can Nets bridge three-point gap?

The Bucks were among the most prolific teams in the NBA from the three-point line last month, attempting the second most (603) shots from beyond the arc and converting the third most (217).

Their three-point field goal percentage of 36 was only good enough for 14th. However, with the Nets shooting 32 per cent from deep in December, there is something of a disparity for the home side to make up.

Steve Nash's team are not short of the talent to bridge the gap, though, with Durant, Harden and Co. more than capable of going blow for blow with the Bucks should they get hot from deep.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Having lost to the Bucks back in October, the Nets will be hoping to avoid a fourth straight regular-season defeat in games against Milwaukee.

There was a third triple-double in four games for Giannis as Milwaukee ended the Cleveland Cavaliers’ eight-game winning streak on Wednesday with a 126-116 home victory.

Antetokounmpo had 35 points, a season high-tying 18 rebounds and 10 assists for his seventh triple-double this season. He came up one assist shy of having four consecutive triple-doubles after he had 31 points, 10 boards and nine assists in Saturday’s win at Detroit.

Joe Prunty served as Milwaukee’s interim head coach after Griffin was fired on Tuesday despite the Bucks leading the Central Division with a 30-13 record, putting them second in the Eastern Conference. The team was finalising negotiations with Doc Rivers to take over.

Lillard added 28 points and Khris Middleton had 24 for the Bucks, winners of six in seven, as Cleveland lost despite Donovan Mitchell scoring 23 points and Jarrett Allen having 21 and 12 assists.

Two-time MVP Giannis was not expecting the decision to fire first-year coach Griffin, but stressed he trusted the front office.

"Their job is to create the best team possible and the best atmosphere around the team possible that they believe gives us a better chance to win a championship," Giannis said to ESPN. 

"But yeah, I do think [firing coach Griffin] was a surprise.

"I've got to trust the front office, I've got to trust the ownership group that they consider the bigger picture. My job is to be the best version of myself, to lead this team out there and help win games."

Giannis had expressed concerns over the Bucks’ performances this season but stressed he had no personal issues with Griffin.

"I loved the guy, I invited him to my wedding," Antetokounmpo said. ""I was coached by him and we did very, very, very well.

"When somebody is being hired, the GM might come and ask, 'What do you think about that? What do you think about this?' or whatever and not just me – players and people that he trusts their advice. 

"But at times they make it seem like it's the players that are making the decision.

"For a coach like Griff, from Day 1, everything was about togetherness. He was always leading this group into the direction we set at the beginning of the year. 

"Him not being here, at the end of the day, we’re humans. It hurts everybody. But we’ve got to keep on moving forward. We have a goal in our head, which is to be the best basketball team that we can be."

Lillard had a similar view to Giannis that the news was unexpected, though has agreed the Bucks could be playing better.

"There's been a lot of expectations on our team," he said. "Things have been expected to look a certain way. We've had a bumpy road to our success, which is sometimes a part of the process. 

"I was surprised. But it's part of the game. People get traded, people get waived, people get fired, and that's never something you want to see."

The Bucks never trailed in a win which avenged their 40-point loss in Cleveland last week and the teams will play again on Friday.

"Our experience really worked in our favor in this situation,” added Lillard. "We have all experienced a lot of things.

"I think this was different for everybody, but we just understood we had a game tonight, and it was going to be a tough game against a really good team that kind of handled us the last time we played them."

Despite star duo Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard missing out due to injury, the third-seeded Bucks dragged the series back to 3-2 with a 115-92 victory at Fiserv Forum.

Khris Middleton had 29 points and 12 rebounds – his third straight game with at least 25 points – while Bobby Portis Jr. also had 29 as he made amends for being ejected in Milwaukee's Game 4 defeat.

That meant they became the first team in NBA history to win a playoff game when deprived of their two top scorers from the regular season.

The Bucks will go back on the road for another must-win game on Thursday, and they are hoping to have reinforcements.

Two-time NBA MVP Antetokounmpo has missed all five games in the series with a left calf strain, while Lillard has missed the last two contests after hurting his Achilles last week.

After Tuesday's game, coach Doc Rivers said both players were scheduled to work out on Wednesday and suggested they could be in contention for Game 6.

"I think they're very, very, very close," Rivers said.

Rivers was delighted by the way their team-mates stepped up in difficult circumstances, adding: "You could feel the energy in our film and in our walk-through.

"We were coming to play and win tonight. You could feel it in the preparation, that was not a team walking through a walk-through, thinking this was it. That's a team thinking they can win."

For Middleton, it was simply about staying alive and giving the Bucks' stars a chance to impact the series.

"We have to find a way to win, whatever it takes," Middleton said. "We're still confident. Our backs were up against the wall tonight, we had a great home crowd that got us going. 

"So we're going to have to find a way. That's the only way to put it, find a way to get this next one and force a Game 7."

Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer confirmed that Antetokounmpo will miss Monday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers with a sore ankle.

The Greek forward had been listed as probable before being downgraded to doubtful, ahead of back-to-back games with a Tuesday date with the Indiana Pacers too.

"He's not ready to go tonight," Budenholzer told reporters pre-game. "It's not anything more than that. We'll see how he feels tomorrow. I think it's very short term."

Simmons, who joined the Nets from the Philadelphia 76ers in a blockbuster trade late last week, attended shootaround prior to their game with the Sacramento Kings.

However, the three-time All-Star was ruled out as he "returns to competition reconditioning".

After missing the past three games while nursing a hand injury, Antetokounmpo started like a house on fire, scoring 15 points in the first quarter.

Despite his early heroics, the Kings led by five at quarter-time, and they jumped out to a 49-33 advantage after a 17-6 start to the second period.

From that point on, the Bucks responded with a 50-29 run, taking the lead as Antetokounmpo racked up a gaudy stat-line of 40 points, 10 rebounds and three assists by the end of the third quarter.

A wildly entertaining fourth period saw the teams combine for 80 points, with Khris Middleton scoring 14 of his 31 in what was his best game of the season.

The three-time All-Star's 31 points were a season-high, shooting nine-of-15 from the field and adding nine assists.

He was the perfect sidekick for Antetokounmpo, who ended up scoring 46 points on 19-of-28 shooting, with 12 rebounds and four assists. It was his sixth game this season with at least 45 points, while no other player has more than Luka Doncic and Joel Embiid's four.

The win is the Bucks' 20th from their past 22 outings, improving their league-leading record to 49-19, while the 40-27 Kings fell to third in the West, overtaken by the 41-26 Memphis Grizzlies.

Warriors ride Klay's 30-point half

Golden State Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson delivered another memorable performance as he shot his side to a 123-112 home victory against the Phoenix Suns.

Thompson had 18 points in the first quarter, and reached half-time with 33 on 12-of-18 shooting, hitting eight of his 12 three-point attempts.

He would score only five more points in the second half, as Jordan Poole picked up the slack down the stretch with 20 points (eight-of-16) and six assists off the bench.

Devin Booker was strong for the Suns with 32 points on 12-of-20 shooting, while Deandre Ayton piled up 27 points (13-of-19) and 12 rebounds in the losing effort.

The result pulls the Warriors (36-33) to within 1.5 games of the fourth-seeded Suns (37-31).

Edwards and 'Slow-Mo' put on a show

Anthony Edwards looked every bit of a franchise superstar as his Minnesota Timberwolves overcame a 41-point performance from Trae Young to defeat the Atlanta Hawks 136-115.

The former top overall draft pick shot 12-of-25 from the field for a team-high 32 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two blocks and a steal. He was supported in spectacular fashion by Kyle 'Slow-Mo' Anderson, with 14 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds for his second triple-double of the season.

Young was terrific for the Hawks, shooting 15-of-25 from the field and adding seven assists, but supporting pieces De'Andre Hunter and Dejounte Murray shot a combined 11-of-32.

Minnesota (35-34) are now just one game behind the sixth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers (36-33).

Antetokounmpo was kept in check by the Heat on Monday, scoring a season-low 13 points as center Bam Adebayo frustrated the reigning MVP with a fine defensive performance.

Despite the loss, Milwaukee still lead the Eastern Conference standings with an NBA-best 52-9 record and Antetokounmpo is the frontrunner to be named MVP again.

Yet such accolades were far from his thoughts after a rare loss.

"It's not important at all. I really don't [care]," he told reporters when asked about being named MVP once more.

The Heat improved to 39-22 with the 105-89 victory and may have provided the blueprint for how to stop Antetokounmpo.

It is a game plan they might need to revisit in the playoffs and Antetokounmpo know the Bucks will likely need to find a way to break Miami down if they are to reach the NBA Finals.

"We haven't lost a lot this year," he said.

"Teams are looking at me and obviously I've got to keep my confidence high

"You're gonna win some games, you're gonna lose some games. We're not going to go 82-0.

"Miami's a great team, came out [and] played really, really hard tonight. We're definitely going to play them again at some point and we've just got to play better, play hard.

"They're going to play hard for 48 minutes, it doesn't matter whether they make shots or miss shots.

"They made 17 threes. If we see them in the playoffs, which is a month and a half away, we've got to be ready."

Eventual champions the Raptors rallied from a 2-0 series deficit to dump out Antetokounmpo's number one seed Bucks at Scotiabank Arena in May.

But the two teams are leading the way again in the east this year, and Milwaukee brought up 50 wins with a 108-97 success on their first return to Toronto since the playoffs.

Reigning MVP and 2019-20 candidate Antetokounmpo put up 19 points and 19 rebounds, and the victory was particularly encouraging as he witnessed a postseason atmosphere on the road.

"Yeah, you expect that [atmosphere]," he said. "It's the second time we've faced Toronto.

"We got the first one at home, and you know they're going to try to come out, set the tone and play hard. They're a team that don't stop playing hard.

"That's why they win so many games, that's why they're so good. You expect that, and we knew we had to come out here and earn it."

Asked whether he had thought of the previous meeting, the Greek added: "Obviously, obviously.

"You always remember the last time you played here, the performance you had. It was definitely on my mind."

Antetokounmpo would not be distracted, even as rapper Drake brought out WWE championship belts in a nod to a wrestling video the Bucks posted of their star man the previous day.

Toronto icon Drake had played the part of cheerleader as the Raptors roared past Antetokounmpo in May, yet the 25-year-old was not concerned by the superfan's latest attempts to get under his skin.

"I didn't notice that. I just found out about it. Somebody told me," Antetokounmpo said. "When I'm in the game, I'm just locked in, trying to win the game.

"I really don't look outside at the fans, at what they're doing.

"That's good [that Drake wanted to antagonise me]. He cares about me? I didn't know it. I'm just here to win games and help my team win."

Antetokounmpo continued his phenomenal season with 30 points and 13 rebounds as the NBA-leading Milwaukee Bucks improved to 33-6 with a 107-98 win on their maiden outing at the Chase Center.

By contrast, the Warriors slumped to 9-30 in the ongoing absence of injured All-Stars Curry and Klay Thompson.

"It's weird. I've never seen this," Antetokounmpo told reporters when discussing the demise of a team that collected three NBA titles after being crowned Western Conference champions in each of the past five seasons.

"I've been in the league for seven years now and I've never seen a team go from being in an NBA Final to… not as good.

"Once they come back, they'll be right up there. The up and down is going to be crazy.

"I talked to Steph and wished him a fast recovery. He's going to be back, he's going to be helping his team win and doing what he did the previous years."

If the Bucks' record suggests they are the team primed for glory this time around, Antetokounmpo knows they must improve upon some uneven shooting displays.

After Tuesday's 126-104 loss at the San Antonio Spurs, Milwaukee were forced to grind their way past the embattled Warriors.

"We found a way to win, a way to grind it out. In San Antonio we didn't do that," Antetokounmpo said.

"Obviously we can play way better basketball than we did tonight, but it's going to come.

"We've been playing great basketball, there are going to be days when it's not there. So long as you have a winning culture and it's all about how, at the end of the game, you can put yourselves in a position to win, that's good.

"We got the win, it's not pretty. Go back to the tape, see what we did right. We want to play the best we can play, but our main focus is to keep improving.

"Then when it matters the most – in April, May and June – all our habits that we did all season long, we can do it then."

Having the man with 32 double-doubles to his name already this season in their ranks, however, will do the Bucks no harm.

"He's such a threat at the rim, such a great playmaker and passer," Khris Middleton – who weighed in with 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists – said of Antetokounmpo.

"If you put him on top of the key or on the wing and he starts shooting those threes, you have to come up a little bit more on him. Now there's just more room."

Milwaukee are back in action at the Sacramento Kings on Friday.

The reigning NBA MVP mocked Harden's high usage rate and lax defensive game during the All-Star break, prompting a response this week.

Seemingly referring to Antetokounmpo, Harden told ESPN: "I wish I was seven feet and could just run and dunk. That takes no skill at all."

Antetokounmpo, the clear favourite to be named MVP again, put up 32 points and 13 rebounds as his Milwaukee Bucks improved to 51-8 on Friday with a 133-86 thrashing of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Greek was asked about Harden's comments after the game, but he told ESPN: "There's not a back-and-forth. [I have] never tried to take shots at somebody."

Antetokounmpo was more open in discussing his style in an indirect question following Harden's criticisms, though.

"My game is not just power, for sure," he said. "I came in when I was 18, I was 180 pounds, so to power through big guys was kind of tough.

"But obviously, there are going to be times where you've got to power through guys. Like one of the best players, LeBron, Michael Jordan, Kobe and all those guys, Shaq, all those guys, they were extremely physical with their play.

"They made their presence felt in the paint, but obviously I try to work on my game, mid-range shots, threes, being able to screen and roll faster and make the right pass. It's hard to drive full speed and try to make the right pass to the corner.

"I try to get my passes more accurate and it's a lot of things I'm still adding, and hopefully, when I add all those things in my game, I'm a more complete player and I'm better and can help my team win and the game is easier."

The win gives the Bucks a 3-2 series lead, with Game 6 heading back to Milwaukee, and at times it was a one-man show as Antetokounmpo finished with a game-high 40 points on 16-of-27 shooting.

As the Celtics began to open up a sizeable lead, Antetokounmpo scored 15 of the Bucks' 19 second-quarter points to keep his side within touching distance, and hit an important three-pointer to close out the third quarter and trim the margin back to nine points.

With less than two minutes to play, trailing 105-99, and having shot the three poorly all playoffs (four-of-29, 13 per cent entering Game 5) Antetokounmpo nailed a clutch catch-and-shoot three to make it 105-102, before Jrue Holiday tied the game with another a minute later.

Speaking to the post-game media, the reigning NBA Finals MVP said the big moments are not for everyone, but he wanted the responsibility.

"In a play, when it's a close game and if you're not comfortable or confident enough to take that shot, for a person who is being criticised for his shooting, you don't take that shot," he said.

"You wait, you give the ball to the point guard and you have like a full play, set a pick-and-roll, make sure everybody touches the ball, drive-and-kick…but as I said, I worked on it.

"I felt good, the ball felt good in my hands and I was able to have the nerves and time to take that shot."

While Antetokounmpo was the driving force behind the win, Holiday was crucial in securing the result, becoming the first player in the past 25 years to have a steal and a block in the last 10 seconds of a playoff game.

Antetokounmpo made sure to credit Holiday and the Bucks defense, which held the Celtics to just nine points in the final eight minutes.

"Great block [by Holiday], and he was able to keep his balance then stay in the court," he said.

"Then at the end of the game he got that steal from Marcus Smart. Big-time plays down the stretch and that's what Jrue does.

"It's great. Some people take this for granted, but you can live or die with Jrue making decisions like that, going for a steal or putting his hands in there. We've won a lot of games with him doing that.

"[As a team] we just tried to keep guys in front of us, make them take that tough shot, being as active as we could – showing our bodies, showing our hands.

"Sometimes it's just luck, sometimes the ball just bounces our way and we were able to get some stops, but there was definitely effort behind it."

The Bucks – eyeing a first championship since 1971 – suffered disappointment in the playoffs last year, going out in a 4-1 Eastern Conference semifinals series loss to the Miami Heat.

That came after they had finished the regular season with an NBA-best 56-17 record.

The postseason blow prompted speculation over the future of Antetokounmpo, who has been named MVP for two straight years and is out of contract at the end of the 2020-21 season, when he will be eligible for a supermax extension.

Antetokounmpo will not rush to commit to the Bucks, even if he wants to stay, in a move likely to pressure team management to surround him with a stronger supporting cast.

"I do not know what the plan is," Antetokounmpo said to Aftonbladet when asked about his future while on vacation in Sweden.

"It depends on what decisions they make. If they make the right decision, I will be there for many years. 

"If they do not, we will see. The NBA is business and we take it day by day. Hopefully we can succeed together.

"There are a lot of rumors. Everyone has opinions. But at the end of the day, I will do what is best for my family." 

Antetokounmpo insists his chances of winning championships will always be the biggest factor in his decisions, even though his lucrative extension could range from between $228.2million and $243.7m.

The Greek added: "I do not see why I could not be in Milwaukee for several years. 

"As long as Milwaukee and I are on the same page when it comes to being one of the best teams in the league and winning championships, that is fine. 

"When it changes, it will not be good. It is easy, I want to be a winner. As long as we can win and create a winning culture, it will be good."

Antetokounmpo fuelled the Bucks to a hard-fought 109-05 victory against the Eastern Conference-leading 76ers behind a game-high 32 points, 15 rebounds and five assists in NBA action on Wednesday.

The Bucks had trailed by 19 points in the second half before two-time reigning MVP Antetokounmpo led the rally, capped by his 10 points in overtime.

After starring in OT, Antetokounmpo celebrated a turnaround jumper by sitting down on the court at Wells Fargo Center and smiling into the camera – drawing boos from the 76ers fans in attendance.

76ers big man Howard, whose team's six-game winning streak was snapped, said post-game: "I wanted to go and Stone Cold Stunner [a popular wrestling move in the WWE] him, but I had already got one tech.

"It's basketball. He wanted to have fun, but we'll see these guys again. Today we allowed them to get back into the game. We did it. We can't control that.

"But he had a hell of a game. Hit some tough shots late at the end of the game, reigning MVP, and he had a great game. I'm not one to talk trash or say anything negative, but we'll see them again and it'll be a different result."

In response to Howard's comments, Antetokounmpo told reporters: "I don't think there's anything wrong with having fun. I just like to have fun. In the first half, I was not having fun.

"I kind of talked to myself at the half and said, 'No matter how bad the game is, you can't forget what you have to do, which is have fun'.

"Obviously, there's a couple times where I exaggerate, but I don't want to take anything back. I wasn't thinking, 'Oh, I'm going to sit down.' I was having fun. I was talking to my team-mates -- I was talking to them. I was just trying to be in the moment. But I was just having fun."

The Bucks were held to their lowest-scoring first half of the season by the 76ers, before fighting back to take down the hosts on the road.

Milwaukee are within one and a half games of the 76ers in the Eastern Conference amid a five-game winning streak.

"When the game starts, you try to get into your rhythm, but you're not stepping the right way.... It's just hard to get into a rhythm," said Antetokounmpo, who scored 28 points in the second half and overtime. "And the way I try to get into a rhythm is to get everybody involved.

"I try to move the ball a little bit, move my legs, move my body a little bit. But going into the second half, I wanted to be a little more aggressive, but I knew I could not come right out of the gate and be aggressive. I had to slowly build up to it.

"But going down the stretch, I was just trying to be aggressive.... My teammates need me to keep making the right play, and they need me to stay aggressive, so that's what I tried to do."

The reigning NBA MVP announced the arrival of Liam Charles Antetokounmpo in a post on Twitter.

It meant the Bucks, who go into the meeting with the Kings top of the Eastern Conference with a 45-7 record, will be without their star forward for just the fifth time this season.

Milwaukee have won their past four games and face the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday in their final outing before the All-Star break.

Antetokounmpo will captain Team Giannis against a roster selected by LeBron James in the All-Star Game this weekend.

Curry won his fourth NBA title in June at the expense of the Boston Celtics, taking the series 4-2.

Superstar guard Curry won the NBA Finals MVP after averaging 31.2 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals in the six games.

The 34-year-old became only the seventh player to win at least four NBA titles and win two MVP awards, a feat Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, LeBron James, Magic Johnson and Tim Duncan have also achieved.

Antetokounmpo claimed the title and was Finals MVP for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021, but says Curry is now the best on the planet despite Nikola Jokic winning the 2021 and 2022 NBA MVP awards.

He said during a Bucks media day: "I think the best player in the world is the person that is the last man standing.

"It's the person that takes his team to the Finals, the finish line and helps them win the game. - that's how I view it. I believe the best player in the world is Steph Curry."

Antetokounmpo says no individual awards can match the feeling of winning the NBA title.

"The feeling I felt, it was a nice feeling," he said. "I got jealous of Golden State, seeing them in the parade and the ESPYs. You know that feeling now. You know what is getting stripped away from you."

The Bucks opted to hold out superstar Antetokounmpo in Boston due to an ankle injury, having been listed as probable for the NBA champions.

Antetokounmpo has been averaging 26.6 points, 11.8 rebounds and a career-high 6.0 assists, while shooting 49.6 per cent from the field and 28.6 from three-point range.

The two-time MVP is averaging at least 25.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game for what would be a fourth consecutive season. No player in NBA history has done that four seasons in a row, per Stats Perform.

The Bucks (6-6) have struggled for consistency due to injuries, but are riding a two-game winning streak.

In their last game against the New York Knicks, the Bucks scored 78 of their 112 points via three-pointers (69.6 percent) – the highest percentage by any team in a game in NBA history.

The reigning NBA MVP sustained a left leg injury during the Bucks' defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, the team confirmed. 

An MRI revealed a minor joint capsule sprain of the left knee, ruling him out of the Bucks' road games with the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets.

Antetokounmpo's status for Thursday's home game with the Boston Celtics will be updated later in the coming week.

The Greek is again the favourite for the MVP award and is averaging 29.6 points and 13.7 rebounds for the Eastern Conference-leading Bucks.

Milwaukee possess the best record in the NBA at 53-10 and are 8.5 games ahead of the Toronto Raptors in the race for the number one seed in the East.

Antetokounmpo won the award once again after leading the Milwaukee Bucks to the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

Their 56-17 record was the best in the NBA in a season impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Antetokounmpo averaged 29.5 points, 13.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game in the regular season.

He becomes the first player to claim the MVP in successive seasons since Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors in 2015 and 2016.

Having also been named Defensive Player of the Year, Antetokounmpo is just the third player in league history to win that award and the MVP in the same season, that select list also featuring Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon.

Antetokounmpo could not guide the Bucks to their first NBA title since 1971, however, Milwaukee coming up short in the Conference semifinals.

The Bucks were beaten 4-1 in that series by the Miami Heat, with Antetokounmpo missing the final game due to an ankle injury sustained in Game 4.

Milwaukee's failure in the postseason ramped up speculation around Antetokounmpo's future amid talk he could demand a trade.

He is set to become a free agent at the end of the 2020-21 season, while he is eligible for a max contract extension worth around $254million this offseason.

Antetokounmpo dismissed speculation of a trade, however, telling Yahoo Sports: "It's not happening. That's not happening.

"Some see a wall and go in [another direction]. I plough through it. We just have to get better as a team, individually and get right back at it next season."

The final year of the deal, when the seven-time All-Star is scheduled to make $66.8million, reportedly carries a player option.

Antetokounmpo, who had previously said that he planned on waiting until next offseason to sign an extension, hinted at the deal earlier Monday with a post on social media that included a picture of him holding the Larry O’Brien Trophy after the 2021 Finals. The caption read: “MILWAUKEEEEEEEEE!! Let’s get it!!!! #BucksInSix #Extended.”

Antetokounmpo’s max extension – along with the offseason acquisition of Damian Lillard – should quiet any rumours of the two-time MVP’s desire to leave Milwaukee.

Antetokounmpo made comments earlier this offseason that were generally supportive of the team’s direction but left open the possibility of future discontent.

“But at the end of the day, I want to be a Milwaukee Buck for the rest of my career, as long as we are winning. It’s as simple as that,” Antetokounmpo said on media day earlier this month. He later added that the Bucks were “definitely” committed to winning another championship.

Antetokounmpo also said during media day that he did not plan to sign a contract extension until next offseason, when he could have secured a larger deal.

“I said that it did not make sense to sign the contract right now because money’s not important – a lot of money is important. So I’m going to sign it next year,” Antetokounmpo said with a laugh. “But, no, at the end of the day, again, it doesn’t make sense. It does not make sense for me to sign it right now. I’ve got to always look at what’s best for me and my family, for my situation.”

Bobby Marks, ESPN front office insider and former assistant GM with the Brooklyn Nets, explained on social media that Antetokounmpo may make more in the long run by signing this extension.

Antetokounmpo, 28, set a career high last season by scoring 31.1 points per game. The Bucks finished first in the East with a 58-24 record but were eliminated by the eighth-seeded Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs, beginning a crucial offseason for a team just two years removed from an NBA title.

Milwaukee fired coach Mike Budenholzer and hired Adrian Griffin as his replacement. The team was also able to sign Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez to long-term contracts before making the blockbuster trade that brought in Lillard and ended Jrue Holiday’s tenure with the Bucks.

Antetokounmpo has averaged 22.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 719 career games since the Bucks drafted him 15th overall in 2013.

Lillard will make his Bucks debut Thursday when Milwaukee kicks off their 2023-24 season by hosting reigning MVP Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers.

LeBron James scored 37 points, had eight rebounds and provided eight assists as the Lakers won the battle between the top seeds in each conference, prevailing 113-103 at Staples Center.

However, the home team were aided by shooting 38 free-throw attempts in the contest, hitting 31 of them, much to Antetokounmpo's frustration.

"We definitely didn't play smart," Antetokounmpo, who led his team with 32 points in a losing cause, told the media after the game. 

"We obviously tried our best. We fight – we fight in every game. We try to stay in every game that we play.

"But they shot 31 free throws. We put them on the line so easily. You take that away and it's 70-odd points. You give them 12 free throws, 14 free throws, and now you have a ball game.

"We've got to do better, obviously. We will learn a lot from this game, go back and watch the tape and get better. Now we've got to move onto the next one."

As well as a potential NBA Finals preview, the game in Los Angeles pitted two of the leading candidates for this season's MVP award against each other.

The home crowd made clear who they believe should get the individual honour, chanting 'MVP! MVP!' for James after he pulled off a spinning dunk in the closing seconds.

Antetokounmpo, however, remains the overwhelming favourite to be crowned for a second successive season.

"It's always good playing against one of the best players in the league," he said. "When you bring the ball down, whenever you go against him, you can feel greatness.

"I've said in the past, that's where I want to be. As I said, he's one of the best players in the game, really smart. He's going to come at you – you've got to be ready to go, ready to fight against him. He's going to get his shots up, get his team-mates the ball."

Khris Middleton endured a tough outing for Milwaukee, finishing with 12 points on a 5-for-19 shooting night, but was backed by Antetokounmpo to keep on letting it go.

"Khris has got to keep shooting," he said of his team-mate. "It doesn't matter if you're having an off night, you're one of the best players in the team.

"A rough night cannot stop you from being who you are. Even if you go 0 for 20, he has to keep shooting."