Giannis Antetokounmpo's 20-assist triple-double rescues Bucks against 76ers

Antetokounmpo had 20 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in the first half alone, finishing with 35 points, 17 rebounds and a career-high 20 assists, shattering his previous best of 16. Milwaukee defeated Philadelphia, 126-113, to win its second straight game and stay even with the Detroit Pistons for fifth place.

That matters a lot to the Bucks, who haven't beaten any of the top three Eastern Conference teams this season. Finishing fifth means they'd play the Indiana Pacers rather than the New York Knicks, who went 3-0 against the Bucks this season.

It looked like the Bucks could suffer a devastating loss early, as the 76ers jumped out to a 39-22 lead, thanks to rookie Adem Bona, who scored 12 of his career-high 28 points in the first quarter.

That's when Antetokounmpo started to take over. Milwaukee went on a 18-0 run, with Antetokounmpo assisting on five of the Bucks' first six baskets. Then he scored the Bucks' next six points. The "Greek Freak" finished the second quarter with 12 points, six assists and four rebounds.

Antetokounmpo scored 30+ points for the sixth straight game, very necessary with Damian Lillard out with blood clots and Bobby Portis suspended. But in his last two games, Antetokounmpo has had double-digit assists, dishing out 11 in Milwaukee's win over Phoenix on Tuesday. As a result, there were seven Bucks who scored in double figures as the team shot 56.1%.

Things looked much brighter for the Bucks after the first quarter, especially with the news that Lillard could return during the regular season. Based on Thursday night, Antetokounmpo should get him plenty of good looks.