UNDATED (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 40 points and had a game-deciding block of Joel Embiid in the final seconds to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 118-116 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in a matchup of two of the Eastern Conference’s top teams. Khris Middleton scored 22 points and Jrue Holiday had 18 for the Bucks, who pulled within a half-game of idle Miami for first place in the East. James Harden had 32 points and nine rebounds for the 76ers, and Embiid recovered from a slow start and finished with 29 points.
In other action:
—Paul George scored 34 points in his return after missing three months and the Los Angeles Clippers rallied from a 25-point deficit to beat the Utah Jazz 121-115. Reggie Jackson added 21 points for the Clippers, who snapped a five-game skid after trailing by 16 points in the fourth. Donovan Mitchell scored 33 points and Mike Conley added 19 points for the Jazz, who dropped their fifth in a row. The Clippers outscored Utah 39-21 in the fourth, when they trailed by 16 points.
—Kevin Durant scored 41 points and the Brooklyn Nets rallied past the Detroit Pistons 130-123. Kyrie Irving added 24 points in his second home appearance since New York exempted athletes from a private employer mandate for COVID-19 vaccinations last week. Andre Drummond had 14 points and 13 rebounds as Brooklyn overcame a double-digit deficit in the second quarter. Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 34 points.
—DeMar DeRozan scored 14 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter, and the Chicago Bulls pulled away for a 107-94 victory over the Washington Wizards. Nikola Vucevic scored 27 points for Chicago, which is trying to stay in the top six in the Eastern Conference and avoid the play-in round of the postseason. The Bulls took a half-game lead on Toronto for fifth place in the East.
—Luka Doncic scored 34 points in a triple-double and the Dallas Mavericks routed the Lakers 128-110 with Los Angeles missing LeBron James because of an ankle issue. LA is also anticipating the return of long-injured Anthony Davis. The Lakers are tied with San Antonio for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference with seven games remaining for both teams.
