LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a season-high 49 points in his return from an injury as the Milwaukee Bucks overcame Kevin Durant’s 42-point performance to beat the Brooklyn Nets 117-114 on Sunday.

Two-time reigning National Basketball Association (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.

“Tonight that picture I created, that’s who I want to be moving forward,” said Antetokounmpo. “It doesn’t matter if I score 49 points. I don’t care about that.

“What I care about is how I slowed down, how I was able to find my teammates. How if I missed one, missed a second one, missed a third one and still be able to come down and shoot another one. This is what I believe I can be.”

Antetokounmpo shot 21-of-36 from the floor and added eight rebounds while teammate Khris Middleton finished with a double-double of 26 points and 11 rebounds.

Durant equalled a season-high 42 and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Eastern Conference-leading Nets, who are trying to hang onto first place during the final stretch of the regular season.

Antetokounmpo said he didn’t want to get into a scoring duel with Durant and just tried to focus on the strengths in his game.

“KD is one of the greatest scorers ever to play the game,” Antetokounmpo said. “If you try to go back and forth with him, he’s going to score 70. I was able to slow down and get to my spots. I kept being aggressive.”

The two teams play again tonight in Milwaukee in a rivalry many see as a play-off preview.

Kyrie Irving scored 20 points and Landry Shamet tallied 17 for the Nets, who have won four of their past six games.

Elsewhere, Pascal Siakam and Kyle Lowry combined for 76 points as the Toronto Raptors kept their play-off hopes alive with a 121-114 win over the struggling Los Angeles Lakers, who saw superstar LeBron James exit in the fourth quarter.

Siakam finished with a season-high 39 points and 13 rebounds and Lowry delivered 37 points and 11 assists in a Sunday showdown between the two last teams to win NBA championships.

The Lakers have lost six of their last seven and are learning that the insertion of James back into the line-up isn’t going to be a cure-all.

James shot six-of-11 from the floor and finished with 19 points in 28 minutes but the 36-year-old also had five turnovers in just his second game back after missing 20 with a right ankle injury he suffered on March 20.

James left Sunday’s game halfway through the fourth quarter and did not return.

“He was battling some soreness,” said Laker coach Frank Vogel. “We decided not to bring him back. We will see how he’s feeling tomorrow.”

The win leaves the Raptors two-and-a-half games behind Washington in the battle for the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference. The seventh through 10 seeds qualify for the postseason play-in round.

Also, Boston Celtic starters Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum did not finish their 129-119 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers after they collided into each other in the final minute of the fourth quarter.

The collision happened while they were defending a Trail Blazers inbound pass. They both hobbled off to the dressing room with the game out of reach. Tatum said later that his injury was not serious.

In San Antonio, Ben Simmons made a game-winning tip-in at the buzzer and Joel Embiid scored 34 points and seized 12 rebounds as the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the San Antonio Spurs 113-111 in the Alamo City.

NBA RESULTS AND STANDINGS

Washington, United States (AFP) — Results and standings on Sunday.

Charlotte 111, Miami 121

Boston 119, Portland 129

LA Lakers 114, Toronto 121

Dallas 99, Sacramento 111

Houston 97, New York 122

Oklahoma City 120, Phoenix 123

San Antonio 111, Philadelphia 113 (OT)

Milwaukee 117, Brooklyn 114

Philadelphia 43 21 0.672 —

Standings (w l pct gb)

Eastern Conference

Teams W L Pct Gb

Brooklyn 43 22 0.662 1/2

Milwaukee 40 24 0.625 3

New York 36 28 0.563 7

Atlanta 35 30 0.538 8 1/2

Miami 35 30 0.538 8 1/2

Boston 34 31 0.523 9 1/2

Charlotte 31 33 0.484 12

Indiana 30 33 0.476 12 1/2

Washington 29 35 0.453 14

Toronto 27 38 0.415 16 1/2

Chicago 26 38 0.406 17

Cleveland 21 43 0.328 22

Orlando 20 44 0.313 23

Detroit 19 45 0.297 24

Western ConferencePhoenix 46 18 0.719 —

Teams W L Pct Gb

Utah 46 18 0.719 0

Denver 43 21 0.672 3

LA Clippers 43 22 0.662 3 1/2

Dallas 36 28 0.563 10

Portland 36 28 0.563 10

LA Lakers 36 28 0.563 10

Memphis 32 31 0.508 13 1/2

Golden State 32 32 0.500 14

San Antonio 31 32 0.492 14 1/2

New Orleans 29 35 0.453 17

Sacramento 27 37 0.422 19

Oklahoma City 21 44 0.323 25 1/2

Minnesota 20 45 0.308 26 1/2

Houston 16 49 0.246 30 1/2