Bucks keep the heat on Miami despite injury blow

The Milwaukee Bucks may have lost their greatest weapon but they have kept their season alive with a 118-115 overtime victor y against the Miami Heat.

Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo took no further part after aggravating his right ankle injury in the first half, prompting fears the Bucks would tumble out of the play-offs with Miami already leading the best-of-seven series 3-0.

Milwaukee responded with vigour, though, particularly from Khris Middleton, who rained buckets to snatch 36 points, including nine of Milwaukee’s 11 in overtime.

The Bucks triumphed late on Sunday–with Miami forward Jimmy Butler saying afterwards that his side “didn’t deserve to win” as they failed to take advantage of Antetokounmpo’s departure – but they will now have to become the first NBA team to rally from 0-3 to win a series if they wish to progress.

The team said An te tokounmpo, pictured, will get intensive treatment on the ankle. Middleton added: “His ankle’s already in bad shape and he still went out there, first and second quarter, however long he was out there, giving his all.

As a team, you can do nothing but respect your team-mate for giving his all. We had to have his back tonight.”

Moving across to the Western Conference, Anthony Davis top-scored for the Los Angeles Lakers as they hit back to record a 117-109 win over the Houston Rockets.

Davis had 36 points and ten rebounds while Lebron James netted 28 points and 11 rebounds, with their side moving to 1-1 in their series against the Rockets.

“We’re at our best when he’s in attack mode,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said of superstar James’ influence on the team.

James took only 15 shots in Game 1 and was scoreless in the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ 112-97 loss, saying afterwards that the Lakers needed to experience a game to understand how fast the small-ball Rockets play .“I think we adjusted from Game 1 to Game 2,” James said.