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Brooklyn Nets' Blake Griffin draws a charge on Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo. Morry Gash

Giannis Antetokounmpo helps Milwaukee Bucks to victory on his return to action

There were also wins for the Sixers, Suns and Raptors.

TWO-TIME MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo returned from a spell on the sidelines to help the Milwaukee Bucks to a 117-114 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

Antetokounmpo scored 49 points, including a dunk with 7:57 left to break a 96-96 tie as the Bucks took their second win in a row to close the gap to the Nets in the Eastern Conference.

Khris Middleton had 26 points and 11 rebounds for the Bucks, while Kevin Durant – who scored 42 – missed a three-pointer at the buzzer which could have sent the game into overtime. The Eastern Conference leaders – the Philadelphia 76ers – needed overtime to see off the San Antonio Spurs 113-111, with a Ben Simmons tip-in proving the difference.

San Antonio staged a late comeback – outscoring their opponents 28-18 in the fourth – to force the extra five minutes, and Simmons tipped in from Joel Embiid for the victory, Philly’s fourth on the bounce. The Oklahoma City Thunder, coming off the back of a near NBA record 152-95 defeat to the Indiana Pacers, went down to the Phoenix Suns 123-120, with Devin Booker top scoring with 32.

Elsewhere, Julius Randle scored 31 as the New York Knicks breezed past the Houston Rockets 122-97, the Portland Trail Blazers saw off the Boston Celtics 129-119 and the Miami Heat boosted their play-off chances with a 121-111 win over the Charlotte Hornets. The Sacramento Kings saw off the Dallas Mavericks 111-99 and the Los Angeles Lakers were downed by the Toronto Raptors 121-114.

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