Khris Middleton and Malcolm Brogdon each scored 19 points as the Milwaukee Bucks crushed the Atlanta Hawks 144-112 on Friday at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

Giannis Antetokounmpo added 16 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds for the Bucks, who led by as many as 46 points in the fourth quarter.

DeAndre' Bembry led the 11-27 Hawks with 19 points, and Trae Young added 13 points and 10 assists.

The 27-10 Bucks maintained their hold on first place in the Eastern Conference and extended their win streak to five.

Giannis Doing His Best to Fend off Harden in Epic MVP Race

If you pull up the Hawks-Bucks box score, only look right and quickly review Antetokounmpo's basic stats, you may think he had an off-night.

But then you look left and realize that Antetokounmpo put up his near triple-double in just 19 minutes.

The 24-year-old was more than halfway to a triple-double after the first quarter thanks to eight points, six rebounds and five assists in just seven minutes. The Bucks didn't need to do much after the first frame as the team led 43-19, so Antetokounmpo enjoyed a half-day.

The Bucks are in the driver's seat to take the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed after finishing seventh with a 44-38 record the year before.

Given the team's improvement plus his own individual development, Antetokounmpo looks like the league's MVP at the halfway mark. For the season, he's averaged 26.0 points, 12.5 rebounds and 6.2 assists.

However, he has some competition in the form of Houston Rockets guard James Harden. 

Heading into Friday, Antetokounmpo was one of three NBA players with a PER a 27 or above, per ESPN.

The leader is New Orleans Pelicans big man Anthony Davis, and Harden is No. 2 on the list.

Davis is likely out of the MVP conversation unless the Pels, who are 14th in the Western Conference, insert themselves into the playoff picture.

But Harden is doing everything in his power of late to will the Rockets to victories. Over his past 12 games, the 2017-18 MVP is averaging 40.1 points. He's led Houston to an 11-1 record during that span, which has vaulted the Rockets to fourth place in the Western Conference.

Despite his run, Antetokounmpo is listed as the MVP favorite right now, per OddsShark:

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James is a wild card, although a groin strain that has forced him to miss five games and counting may eliminate him from this year's conversation.

That could leave Harden and Antetokounmpo dueling for the MVP. Harden didn't mince words when asked about the honor, telling Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, "I need it. I need it for sure. And I'm going to get it."

Harden may have more opportunities to get it. His usage during his recent hot streak has increased largely because starting point guard Chris Paul has been out with a hamstring injury. Paul told reporters (including Kelly Iko of The Athletic) on Dec. 31 that he had "no clue" when he would be back, so that gives Harden more room to give the Rockets more 40-point nights.

Still, Antetokounmpo and the Bucks' success is hard to ignore right now, and their year-to-year improvement is second to none this season. That would likely put Antetokounmpo's MVP candidacy over the edge, but counting Harden out is not recommended.

What's Next?

Milwaukee hosts the Toronto Raptors on Saturday in a battle between the Eastern Conference's top two teams in the standings. NBATV will carry the 8:30 p.m. ET broadcast.

The Hawks welcome the Miami Heat to Atlanta on Sunday at 6 p.m.