MILWAUKEE >> Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 28 points, pulled down a season-high 19 rebounds and dished out seven assists as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Denver Nuggets 121-112 on Thursday night.

The two-time MVP helped Milwaukee offset another brilliant performance from Nikola Jokic, who shot 13 of 16 and had 32 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists. Jokic has 27 triple-doubles in the 53 games the three-time MVP has played this season.

This was the first matchup of the season between these two multiple-MVP winners. The Bucks play at Denver on March 26.

Brook Lopez added 22 points, Damian Lillard 19, Kyle Kuzma 16 and Gary Trent Jr. 15 for the Bucks, who have won five of their last six.

Jamal Murray scored 20 points for the Nuggets.

Mavericks 103, Hornets 96 >> Kyrie Irving scored 18 of his 25 points in the second half and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Dallas to a victory over Charlotte.

Moses Brown, in his penultimate game on a 10-day contract, added 20 points and 11 rebounds in 31 minutes of his first start for the Mavericks.

Mark Williams had 26 points and 16 rebounds for the Hornets, who have lost five consecutive games and 16 of their last 19. Miles Bridges had 20 points and 12 rebounds.

P.J. Washington Jr. again joined Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II among Dallas big men unavailable because of injury. Washington left the Mavericks’ Feb. 8 game with a sprained right ankle and has missed four of seven games since.

LaMelo Ball, who leads the Hornets in scoring and assists, missed his second consecutive game with an ankle injury.

Pelicans 124, Suns 116 >> Zion Williamson had his first career triple-double with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists and New Orleans beat Phoenix for its third straight win.

C.J. McCollum added 19 points in the opener of a two-game set in Phoenix to help New Orleans match its longest winning streak of the season.

Phoenix climbed out of an 18-point hole in the first half and had a 91-88 lead after three quarters. But the Pelicans dominated most of the fourth and Williamson made two tough buckets in the paint down the stretch to seal the win.

Popovich says he will not return to the Spurs this season >> Gregg Popovich will not coach this season. He is not ruling out a comeback in the future.

Popovich met with the Spurs, releasing a statement afterward to make his decision on this season — and hope for next season — public. The 76-year-old Popovich, the NBA’s all-time coaching wins leader, had a stroke at the team’s arena in San Antonio on Nov. 2 and has been away from the team since.

Popovich’s visit to the team came a week after the Spurs announced that All-Star center Victor Wembanyama — the defensive player of the year favorite at the time and someone who was a serious candidate to make the All-NBA team — will not play again this season after deep vein thrombosis, or a blood clot, was found in his right shoulder.