“FREAK” SCORES 22 TO LEAD BUCKS

MILWAUKEE» Giannis “the Greek Freak” Antetokounmpo scored 43 points, Eric Bledsoe had 22 points and 11 assists, and the Bucks beat the Wizards 148-129 on Wednesday night for their fifth consecutive victory.

The Bucks shot 60 percent (56 for 93) from the field and placed six players in double figures while becoming the first NBA team with 40 victories. Malcolm Brogdon had 18 points, and Khris Middleton finished with 16.

Washington trailed by as many as 25 in the first half, but closed to 120-113 on Chasson Randle’s layup with 10:22 left.

Bledsoe helped finish off the Wizards with 10 points in a quick scoring flurry, including a dunk off a missed free throw by Antetokounmpo. He made a 3-pointer with 7:07 remaining to make it 138-118.

Pelicans 125, Bulls 120.

Julius Randle scored 31 points, and New Orleans beat struggling Chicago with All-Star Anthony Davis watching from the bench.

Davis was healthy enough to return from a sprained left index finger that has sidelined him since Jan. 18. But the Pelicans opted to hold him out with Thursday’s trade deadline approaching.

Randle scored 19 in a blistering fourth quarter and finished six points shy of his season high.

Mavericks 99, Hornets 93.

» Luka Doncic scored 19

D A LL AS points in his third triple-double, Dorian Finney-Smith had 15 points and 10 rebounds and newlook Dallas made another move by trading Harrison Barnes while beating Charlotte.

Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 12 points in his Dallas debut after the blockbuster deal that brought Kristaps Porzingis from the New York Knicks.

Barnes played into the third quarter before reports of a trade with Sacramento surfaced. He was on the bench but didn’t play in the fourth quarter. Barnes scored seven of his 10 points in the third.

Jazz 116, Suns 88.

ITY» Donovan Mitchell scored

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21 points and Joe Ingles had a career-high 11 assists, leading the Utah Jazz to a 116-88 victory over the Phoenix Suns.

Rudy Gobert added 16 points and 12 rebounds as Utah won for the fifth time in seven games. Ingles and reserve Royce O’Neale each finished with 15 points. Phoenix committed 22 turnovers in its 12th straight loss