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'Screaming in pain': Nasty Giannis injury rocks NBA Playoffs

Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo is pictured lying on the ground and clutching his ankle after injuring it.

Milwaukee's Khris Middleton scored a game-high 36 points and hit a pair of free throws with 2.2 seconds left in overtime as the Bucks staved off NBA elimination in a 118-115 victory over the Miami Heat.

The top seed in the Eastern Conference, Milwaukee lost the first three games of the best-of-seven semi-final series to fifth-seeded Miami.

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And things were bleak early for Milwaukee when All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has earned MVP and Defensive Player of the Year honours in the past two seasons, turned his injured right ankle and went to the locker-room with 10:18 remaining in the second quarter.

Milwaukee trailed 31-30 at the time but Middleton said one thought went through his mind late in the game.

"Just keep fighting," he said. "I saw what my teammates did. We all fought."

Milwaukee had six players score in double figures led by Middleton, Antetokounmpo (19 points, four rebounds in 11 minutes) and Donte DiVencenzo (10), who forced overtime when he hit his second of two free throws to tie the game at 107 with 1.9 seconds left in regulation.

Miami was led in scoring by Bam Adebayo (26 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists) and Duncan Robinson (20 points).

Antetokounmpo was questionable entering the game due to that ankle injury he sustained in Friday's Game 3.

At halftime it was announced Antetokounmpo was out for the rest of the game.

But the Bucks, who never trailed in overtime, only got stronger from there.

Giannis Antetokounmpoof the Milwaukee Bucks exits the game after an injury during the second quarter against the Miami Heat in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Second Round. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)

Milwaukee avoided an unenviable distinction with the victory.

The last time the team with the best regular-season record was swept in playoffs was 2001 when the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference finals.

But the Bucks still must pull a small miracle to avoid history. No team has ever come back from an 0-3 deficit and won a series in 139 attempts.

NBA playoff recovery for LA Lakers

LeBron James had 28 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists as the Los Angeles Lakers evened the Western Conference semi-finals by beating the Houston Rockets 117-109.

The Lakers opened a 21-point lead in the first half, gave up 41 points in the third quarter to fall behind, and then regrouped behind some high-flying plays by James to pull away again.

James took only 15 shots in Game 1 and was scoreless in the fourth quarter of the Lakers' 112-97 loss, but he was dominant on both ends in the final period of this one.

He had eight points in the quarter and a powerful blocked shot on Russell Westbrook that flew far out of bounds.

James Harden scored 27 points and Eric Gordon made six 3-pointers and added 24 for the Rockets, who made 22 3-pointers.