NBA roundup: Antetokounmpo suffers injury, Warriors down Lakers

Giannis Antetokounmpo sustained a calf injury during the Milwaukee Bucks' win against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, while the Golden State Warriors triumphed over the Los Angeles Lakers in their important clash.

In the third quarter of the Bucks' 104-91 victory over Boston, former NBA Most Valuable Player Antetokounmpo suffered a non-contact injury and collapsed on the court.

After in-bounding to his teammate Damian Lillard, Antetokounmpo limped off the court in visible discomfort and did not return to the game at Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum.

The Bucks have announced that Antetokounmpo has a left soleus strain and will undergo an MRI scan to evaluate the extent of the injury. When asked about the seriousness of the injury, Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers expressed his concern, highlighting the importance of Antetokounmpo to the team.

The Bucks will be hoping for the best, as any significant injury to Antetokounmpo would greatly impact their chances of a successful playoff run.

Despite the overshadowing of the injury, the Bucks secured an encouraging victory over the Eastern Conference leaders, with Patrick Beverley leading the team in scoring with 20 points.

Boston coach Joe Mazzulla found some positives in his team's recent loss, seeing it as a valuable learning experience as they gear up for the challenges of the playoffs.

"It's beneficial for us to face different situations," Mazzulla remarked. "That was the first time in a long while that the game didn't go our way... but it's a good test for us because we haven't experienced this in quite some time."

The Golden State Warriors went on a three-point shooting spree, overwhelming the short-handed Lakers 134-120 on the road.

The Warriors drained an impressive 26 three-pointers out of 41 attempts, with Stephen Curry leading the charge with a perfect 6-of-6 from long range, scoring 23 points.

Klay Thompson contributed five three-pointers, and even Draymond Green got in on the action with five threes against a Lakers team missing the injured Anthony Davis.

LeBron James led the Lakers in scoring with 33 points, while Austin Reaves added 22 and Rui Hachimura scored 20.

In other Western Conference action, the Phoenix Suns dropped out of automatic playoff contention, slipping to seventh place after a 105-92 defeat at home to the Los Angeles Clippers.

The New Orleans Pelicans moved ahead of the Suns into sixth place in the West after defeating the Portland Trail Blazers 110-100.

The Philadelphia 76ers continued their strong form since Joel Embiid's return from injury, securing a sixth consecutive win with a 120-102 victory over the Detroit Pistons.

Embiid, the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player, finished with 37 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists, keeping the Sixers close behind the sixth-placed Indiana Pacers (46-34) with a record of 45-35.

Both the Pacers and the Sixers have two regular-season games remaining.

Sixers coach Nick Nurse noted that Embiid is still working his way back to full fitness.

"Nurse mentioned that he believes there's still room for improvement in his game, but they're making progress. They're gradually pushing him higher up the ladder, adding a bit more each game."

Meanwhile, in Charlotte, Luka Doncic led the Dallas Mavericks to another victory, scoring a 39-point triple-double in a 130-104 win against the Hornets.

With this win, the Mavericks improved to 49-30, holding onto fifth place in the Western Conference standings. Daniel Gafford contributed 26 points, and Kyrie Irving added 18, helping the Mavericks secure a comfortable victory."