MILWAUKEE _ Maybe having eight days between games was the cure for what ailed Giannis Antetokounmpo's sore right knee. Or maybe it was going up against the lowly Brooklyn Nets.
No matter the reason, the Milwaukee Bucks were certainly happy to have their All-Star back on the court Friday night at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
Antetokounmpo turned in a thoroughly dominant performance from start to finish, contributing 41 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and two blocks to lead the Bucks to a 116-91 win over the Nets.
And the statistical boost Antetokounmpo brought doesn't tell the whole story. His wall-to-wall intensity, emotion and swagger set the tone for the game and undoubtedly rubbed off on his teammates.
His most emotional displays came late in each half. With the Bucks rolling _ they held the Nets to a season-low 15 points in the first quarter _ Antetokounmpo Euro-stepped around Brooklyn rookie Jarrett Allen for a vicious dunk in the final minute of the first half. He followed that with a stomp of his left foot, primal scream and stink face before the Bucks went into halftime with a 58-35 lead.
Milwaukee took its foot off the pedal in the third quarter to make the game interesting as Brooklyn got as close as seven points late in the period when D'Angelo Russell went on an eight-point tear.
But Antetokounmpo wasn't going to let the game get close. He made a pair of jumpers and assisted on 3s by Thon Maker and Matthew Dellavedova early in the fourth to coax a timeout from the Nets.
Antetokounmpo saved some of his best for last, getting to the free-throw line at will, swishing a jumper through a foul to get a rise out of the sellout crowd then capped his effort with his third 3-pointer in as many attempts to cap a 15-point fourth quarter.
Khris Middleton contributed 21 points in the win as the Bucks went 12 of 23 from 3-point range. The Nets weren't as successful from long distance, going just 8 of 34.
