Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a season-high 49 points in his return from an injury as Milwaukee Bucks overcame Kevin Durant’s 42-point performance to beat Brooklyn Nets 117-114 on Sunday.
Two-time reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Antetokounmpo, who had been dealing with a sprained right ankle, outdueLled Durant in the Eastern Conference clash between the two highest-scoring teams in the league.
Antetokounmpo finished just three points short of his career high, which he set two years ago against Philadelphia.
Elsewhere, Pascal Siakam (39) and Kyle Lowry (37) combined for 76 points as Toronto Raptors kept its playoff hopes alive with a 121-114 win over the struggling Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers saw superstar LeBron James exit in the fourth quarter.
The results: Charlotte 111 lost to Miami 121; Boston 119 lost to Portland 129; LA Lakers 114 lost to Toronto 121; Dallas 99 lost to Sacramento 111; Houston 97 lost to New York 122; Oklahoma City 120 lost to Phoenix 123; San Antonio 111 lost to Philadelphia 113 (OT); Milwaukee 117 bt Brooklyn 114.