Antetokounmpo injury scare as Bucks beat Celtics

LOS ANGELES – Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered a worrying calf injury as the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Boston Celtics, 104-91, in their heavyweight NBA Eastern Conference showdown on Tuesday (Wednesday Manila time).

Former Most Valuable Player Antetokounmpo crumpled to the court in a non-contact incident in the third quarter after in-bounding to teammate Damian Lillard.

Antetokounmpo, who missed games last month with an Achilles injury, hobbled off the court in clear discomfort and did not return to the game at Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum.

The Bucks later said Antetokounmpo had suffered a left soleus strain and would get an MRI scan to assess the injury.

"They're checking him now," a downcast Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers said when quizzed on Antetokounmpo's injury after the win.

Asked what level of concern there was about Antetokounmpo's injury, Rivers replied: "Good question. High, I would say that. He's Giannis.

"I think everyone probably feels the same way as I do right now. So we're just going to hope for the best."

Any significant injury to Antetokounmpo would be a brutal blow to the Bucks' hopes of making a deep run in the playoffs.

The Greek star had scored 15 points with eight rebounds and seven assists before leaving Tuesday's game.

The injury overshadowed what was an encouraging victory for the Bucks over the runaway Eastern Conference leaders, who are already assured of top seeding throughout the postseason.

The Celtics led briefly in the first quarter but thereafter trailed to a Milwaukee team that led by 24 points in the second quarter.

The Bucks retained a double-digit lead for the remainder of the game, with Patrick Beverley leading the Milwaukee scoring with 20 points.

Boston coach Joe Mazzulla meanwhile drew positives from his team's defeat as they prepare for the challenges of the playoffs.

"It's good for us to be in a bunch of different situations," Mazzulla said. "That was the first time that the game hasn't gone our way since I can't remember when.

"So to me it's a good opportunity to just kind of play through it, find different ways to build stuff on either end. It's a good situation for us because we haven't seen it for a while."

In other early games on Tuesday, the Philadelphia 76ers' resurgence since Joel Embiid's return from injury continued as they bagged a sixth straight win in a 120-102 victory over the Detroit Pistons.

Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Embiid finished with 37 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists to leave the Sixers on 45-35, just behind the sixth placed Indiana Pacers (46-34). Both teams have just two regular season fixtures remaining.

Sixers coach Nick Nurse said Embiid was still working his way back to full fitness.

"I think he's still got some work to do on it," Nurse said. "But we're getting there. We're just slowly inching him up the ladder, just a little bit more each game. But he's still got a little work to do."

In Charlotte meanwhile, Luka Doncic scored a 39-point triple double as the Dallas Mavericks' hot streak continued with a 130-104 road win over the Hornets.

The Mavericks improved to 49-30 to remain in fifth place in the Western Conference.

Daniel Gafford had 26 points for the Mavs while Kyrie Irving added 18 as Dallas cruised to victory.