Giannis Antetokompo re injures his ankle in a must-win game for the overall top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks

After their All-Star and leading player, GiannisAntetokompo, re-injured his ankle in the first quarter, Khris Middleton stepped in to help the overall No. 1-seeded Milwaukee Bucks survive in the Eastern Conference semifinals of the National Basketball Association playoffs Sunday at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena VIsta, Fla.

Yes, fortunately for Milwaukee it cut the Miami Heat lead to 3-1 in the best-of-7 series with this 118-115 win, but if not for Middleton, the Bucks might have been eliminated, swept by the 4th-seeded Heat, but now it goes to game five Tuesday, and Milwaukee is hopeful thatAntetokompo has recovered, but don’t count on it. He injured the ankle in the fourth quarter of game three and still remained in the starting lineup Sunday before turning his ankle again.

But it was Middleton to the rescue with a game-high 36 points and he also dished out the team-high eight assists.  Eric Bledsoealso contributed with 14 points and the team-high 10 rebounds. The teams play again Tuesday.

In the Western Conference semis Sunday, the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakersresponded to the loss against the Houston Rockets in game one by evening things at a game apiece with a 117-109, victory. Anthony Davis turned in a 34-point game high, brought down 10 rebounds, handed out four assists. and blocked four shots.

LeBron James also did his part for Los Angeles with 28 points, a team-best 11 boards, and game-high nine assists. Houston had more rebounds, 41-35, less turnovers, 17-15, but the Lakers came away with 11 costly steals. For the Rockets, James Harden had the team-high 27 points to go with seven assists, and Russell Westbrook added 10 points and a team-high 13 boards.

Antetokoumpo played only 11 minutes, scored a remarkable 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Milwaukee had more rebounds, 41-36, 17-15 less turnovers  He went down on a drive to the basket late in the opening quarter and limped off the court. Miami led 31-22 after one quarter, trailed 50-49, at the intermission, led again 88-85 after three quarters, but in the final quarter, Middleton, who made 12 of 28 tries from the floor, tossed in back-to-back 3s to force the overtime.

In the OT, the Bucks outscored the Heat, 11-8, and Middleton came away with a pair of steals that led to baskets, and Bledsoe had a shot block as Milwaukee hung on. The word on Antetokoumpo was that he would be receiving treatment on the ankle Monday and early Tuesday, when they play game five. .

On the Labor Day schedule, it’s the defending champion Toronto Raptors versus the 4th-seeded Boston Celtics in a 1-all Eastern Conference semifinals, and in the Western Conference, the 2nd-seeded Los Angeles Clippers and 3rd-seeded Denver Nuggets play game three after they split the first two.