Giannis Antetokounmpo had an excellent all-around game against fellow MVP candidate James Harden in the Bucks' 116-109 win at Houston.

Antetokounmpo, however, dismissed the early MVP talk.

"All I care about is winning, to be honest with you," Antetokounmpo said after scoring 27 points, grabbing a career-high 21 rebounds and dishing out 5 assists for the East-leading Bucks in the win. "I know by winning -- doing whatever it takes out there, helping your teammates and just leaving it everything on the floor -- everything will take care of itself."

Harden has repeatedly and adamantly declared recently that he expects to win MVP.

"He's not normal," Mike D'Antoni said of Antetokounmpo. "I mean, that guy is 7 feet and has the [body] control, and all that he does. The guy is a great, great player, so he's in the [MVP] conversation, because they're playing so well. And he should be, but we've got a lot of basketball left.

"We're only halfway there. He and James are up there with a couple of other guys, and it'll sort itself out."