Anthony Davis led Los Angeles Lakers to a vital 133-129 victory over the sizzling-hot Milwaukee Bucks at the Fiserv Forum.
Davis led both teams in scoring and was tied for the most rebounds and blocks of the game, with his best performance of the season in a thrilling encounter against the second-placed team in the Eastern Conference.
The center finished the game with a double-double of 44 points and 10 rebounds, adding three blocks and six of his seven free throws.
He also shot two of three from the 3-point line, scoring eighteen of his 27 attempted field-goals.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s impressive run of 40 points was overshadowed by the excellent display of the eight-time NBA All-Star [Davis] with his 14th double-double of the season.
LeBron James climbed the all-time assists ranking, moving to sixth position, just one spot above Lakers’ legend Magic Johnson. The four-time Most Valuable Player finished the game with 28 points, eleven assists, and 8 rebounds in 37 minutes of play.
The game was tightly contested between the Lakers and the Mike Budenholzer-led Bucks’ team, but the 16-time NBA champions led by six points at the end of the first half and held on to win the match by four game points.
Khris Middleton scored 17 points within 33 minutes on his return to action after undergoing surgery for a torn ligament injury in his left wrist and a sprained MCL in his left knee.
The injury he suffered in game 2 of the Round one Eastern Conference playoffs in April against the Chicago Bulls, kept him out for about eight months.
The 31-year-old’s return to full action was not enough to inspire the Bucks to their sixth-straight victory, but they remain second in the Eastern Conference standings behind the Boston Celtics.
The Lakers, however, improved to a record of 9 wins and 12 losses, and are currently placed 12th in the Western Conference standings.
In other games, Golden States Warriors bounced back with a 119-111 victory over the Chicago Bulls at the Chase Center.
Jordan Poole, was in hot form, leading both sides in scoring with 30 points in 23 minutes, shooting an impressive seven of 13 from beyond the arc.
Klay Thompson replied his critics with 26 points, after missing the last shot of the game in the Warriors’ loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.
Steph Curry finished the game with his sixth double-double of the season, finishing with 19 points, 11 rebounds, and four of eight from 3-point line.
Jimmy Butler returned from injury in style to galvanise the Miami Heat to a much-needed 120-116 overtime win over the Boston Celtics at the TD Garden.
The 33-year-old, injured since mid-November due to knee soreness, returned to action to secure his third double-double of the season, with 25 points and 15 rebounds in 35 minutes.
Jason Tatum had a quiet night by his own standards, scoring 14 points while making none of his seven 3-point attempts after going eight for twelve against the Heats two days prior.
The Philadelphia 76ers were defeated 117-109 at the FedEx Forum by Ja Morant’s Memphis Grizzlies, despite Joel Embiid’s 35 points and 12 rebounds.
The Cameroonian-born forward finished the game with his ninth double-double of the season in the 76ers’ second-straight loss.
Ja Morant ended the game with 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists in 36 minutes to improve the Grizzlies’ to a record of 13 wins and 9 losses.
