Jokic was unstoppable offensively, finishing with 36 points on 13-of-14 shooting while adding 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
In doing so, he became the first player in NBA history to record multiple 35-point triple-doubles while shooting at least 90 per cent from the field. Hall-of-Famer Wilt Chamberlain is the only other player with even one such game.
Jokic was supported well by Michael Porter Jr, who scored 23 points on nine-of-13 shooting, while Jamal Murray chipped in 17 points (six-of-15), seven assists, five rebounds and two steals.
For the Blazers, it was another spectacular showing from the franchise's all-time scoring leader as Damian Lillard had a game-high 44 points on 12-of-20 shooting with eight assists.
It continued a blistering run of form for Lillard, who is averaging a league-leading 39 points per game across his past six outings, although Portland have only been able to convert his stellar play into two wins from six.
With the victory, the Nuggets are now alone atop the Western Conference with a record of 31-13, which the Memphis Grizzlies can tie if they can secure their 11th consecutive win when they face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.
Holiday delivers for the Giannis-less Bucks
Jrue Holiday has set a new season-high points total in back-to-back games after putting up 37 in the Milwaukee Bucks' 130-122 triumph at home against the Toronto Raptors.
Holiday scored a season-high 35 on Monday against the Indiana Pacers in the first leg of the Bucks' back-to-back, and he followed it up with 37 against the Raptors.
He shot 16-of-26 from the field while adding seven assists, six rebounds, two steals and a block, and Fred VanVleet was just as good for Toronto.
VanVleet tied his season-high by scoring 39 points on 15-of-28 shooting, with nine rebounds and seven assists.
The Bucks are now 29-16 and occupy the second seed in the Eastern Conference.
Embiid bullies the Clippers
Joel Embiid was too big and too strong on his way to a game-high 41 points in the Philadelphia 76ers' 120-110 road win against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Embiid shot 12-of-22 from the field and 15-of-18 from the free throw line while adding nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks in a comprehensive performance.
Tobias Harris was sharp in a supporting role, snatching five steals in the first half while scoring 20 points on efficient eight-of-12 shooting.
For the Clippers, Kawhi Leonard made it five consecutive games with at least 24 points and a steal as he begins to recapture his All-NBA form following a string of injuries.
Down 17 points at one stage and nine to start the fourth quarter, the Warriors were able to claw their way level through Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, who combined for 55 points for the game and on 22-of-43 shooting from the floor.
The Warriors could not seize the opportunity to lead with scores tied at 121 however, when Andrew Wiggins missed a tip-dunk off a Thompson miss, an open catch-and-shoot three in the corner.
A Monte Morris floater gave the Nuggets the lead with 33.5 seconds remaining, and Austin Rivers' steal from the consequent Otto Porter Jr. inbound effectively settled the result. Will Barton's corner three from a Nikola Jokic feed was punctuation mark.
Jokic was exceptional with Denver's season on the line, coming up with 37 points on 14-of-21 shooting, eight rebounds and six assists.
Pels level series against Suns
The New Orleans Pelicans have managed to level the series with the first-seeded Phoenix Suns, comfortably winning Game 4 118-103.
The combination of the Pels' defensive flexibility and length combined with the Suns' continued struggles in injured star Devin Booker's absence has made this a series.
While Deandre Ayton was able to provide a presence under the basket with 23 points and eight rebounds, Chris Paul and Mikal Bridges shot a combined six-of-19 from the floor.
Jonas Valanciunas came up with important buckets down the stretch on his way to 26 points and 15 rebounds.
Heat and Bucks take commanding leads in East
The Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks now have the chance to advance in the playoffs on their home floors, defeating the Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls respectively.
The Heat defeated the Hawks 110-86 to take a 3-1 series lead, with the latter held to just 15 points in the second quarter.
It was a particularly tough night for Trae Young after his game-winner in Game 3, taking only four shots in the second half and committing as many turnovers.
The Milwaukee Bucks also took a 3-1 series lead on Sunday, claiming a big 119-95 win over the Chicago Bulls.
Grayson Allen provided crucial minutes off the bench with 27 points off 10-of-12 shooting, including six-of-seven from beyond the arc, as well as three steals.
Jokic returned with a triple-double including the game-winner in Tuesday's 98-99 win over the New Orleans Pelicans after missing two games with the same hamstring issue.
The Serbian center is averaging 25.1 points, 11.0 rebounds and 9.9 assists this season, putting him in contention to be first player to win three MVPs in a row since Larry Bird (1984-86).
Jokic's absence comes as the Western Conference-leading Nuggets (34-14) take on the Bucks (30-17), who are third in the Eastern Conference.
The Nuggets will also be without Jamal Murray (left knee), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (sprained right wrist) and Michael Porter Jr. (personal reasons) for the game.
Bobby Portis will be absent for Milwaukee due to right MCL and right ankle sprains, with the injuries to be reevaluated in two weeks.
Portis sustained the injuries in Monday's 150-130 win over the Detroit Pistons where both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton returned after injuries.
Nuggets center Jokic finished with 17 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists and brought up his triple-double in the third quarter, as Denver piled on 73 first-half points before restricting the Lakers to only 36 points in the second half.
LeBron James scored 25 points with nine rebounds and two blocks for the Lakers, while Russell Westbrook had 19 points, five rebounds and three assists.
The defeat means the Lakers, who are still without Anthony Davis due to injury, move to a 21-22 record after losing three games in a row.
Bones Hyland was brilliant off the bench for Denver, who improve to 22-19, with a career-high 27 points including six triples and 10 rebounds.
Durant injured as Nets win
Kevin Durant limped out with a knee sprain as James Harden had 27 points, eight rebounds and 15 assists while Patty Mills scored 21 points as the Brooklyn Nets won 120-105 over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Pascal Siakam over-shadowed Giannis Antetokounmpo with a triple-double with 30 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists as the Toronto Raptors won 103-96 over the Milwaukee Bucks. Antetokounmpo scored 30 points with six rebounds and four assists.
Jayson Tatum had 23 points with 12 rebounds as the Boston Celtics won 114-112 to condemn the Eastern Conference-leading Chicago Bulls to three straight losses, while Darius Garland had 27 points and a career-high 18 assists in the Cleveland Cavaliers' comeback 107-102 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Butler struggles as Heat go cold
Jimmy Butler struggled from the field, making one of 11 for his eight points as the Miami Heat's four-game winning streak was ended by the in-form Philadelphia 76ers 109-98. Joel Embiid had 32 points with 12 rebounds for the 76ers.
Played in Denver, the reigning back-to-back MVP winner put on a show for his home fans with 31 points (10-of-20 shooting), 11 assists and six rebounds.
Jokic was supported in style by Jamal Murray, who chipped in 26 points (nine-of-19), nine assists and six rebounds, and kick-started the Nuggets with four triples in the first quarter.
Antetokounmpo, winner of the 2019 and 2020 MVP trophies, was far from the reason his side went down, posting a strong 31 points (13-of-22), nine rebounds, four assists and four steals. He led Milwaukee to a 66-63 half-time lead, before they put up just 40 points as a team in the second half.
After a mini-slump with four losses from of five games, the Nuggets have now rattled off three wins in a row, improving their home record to 31-6 in the process, which trails only the Memphis Grizzlies (32-5) for the league's best mark.
Despite the loss, Milwaukee (53-21) are still two games clear in the race for the league's best record, while the Nuggets are 3.5 games clear atop the West.
Hawks prevail despite Trae ejection
Atlanta Hawks franchise player Trae Young was ejected for throwing the ball at an official, but his side still came away with a 143-130 home win against the visiting Indiana Pacers.
Young was kicked out in the second quarter after the incident, but eight Hawks players ended up scoring double-figures to pick up the slack.
John Collins led the way with 21 points (nine-of-12 shooting), Dejounte Murray added 20 points (eight-of-20) and 12 assists, and Clint Capela snatched down 17 rebounds to go with his 17 points (five-of-five).
The win pulled the Hawks' record even at 37-37, now a game clear of the ninth-seeded Toronto Raptors (36-38) as they battle for play-in tournament positioning.
Pelicans muddy the waters in the West
The New Orleans Pelicans kept their season alive with a 131-110 road win over the Los Angeles Clippers, creating a logjam in the Western Conference's play-in placings.
Second-year Pelicans wing Trey Murphy was spectacular as he hit 10-of-12 three-pointers for an equal team-high 32 points. He was joined on 32 points by Brandon Ingram, and after Ingram's first career triple-double on Thursday, he followed it with a career-high 13 assists against the Clippers.
The win means the Pelicans are in a three-way tie for the seventh-best record in the West, joining the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Los Angeles Lakers at 37-37 with eight games to play.
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, Boston Celtics guard Jayson Tatum and Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee Bucks were also named to the first team, which was revealed Wednesday.
Jokic, who has won three of the last four MVP awards, and Gilgeous-Alexander were both listed on all 99 ballots.
Doncic fell one vote shy of joining them, while Antetokounmpo received 88 first-place votes and Tatum garnered 65.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant, Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard and Los Angeles Lakers centre Anthony Davis were named to the second team.
The third team was made up of Lakers forward LeBron James, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis, Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton and Suns guard Devin Booker.
This is the 20th consecutive season James has been named to an All-NBA team since being included on the second team in his second season.
At 39 years old, he became the oldest All-NBA player in league history. He was also the youngest All-NBA selection as a 20-year-old back in 2004-05.
Jokic, who won the 2023-24 MVP award in a runaway with 79 of a possible 99 first-place votes, was named to the All-NBA first team for the fourth time to go with a pair of inclusions on the second team.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished second in MVP voting, was named to the first team for the second straight season.
Doncic made the first team for the fifth year in a row, while Tatum is on it for the third consecutive season.
Antetokounmpo has been on the first team each of the last six seasons after being on the second team the previous two years.
Nikola Jokic had other ideas.
Jokic hit a long 3-pointer at the buzzer to lift the Nuggets to a 130-127 win over the Warriors on Thursday to cap an 18-point, fourth-quarter comeback.
Jokic's improbable 3 came from just inside of half-court and over the outstretched arms of Warriors centre Kevon Looney.
Jokic, who had just tied the game with 26 second left on a short jumper, finished with 34 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.
Aaron Gordon sparked Denver's furious rally, scoring 15 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, as the defending champions won for the eighth time in nine games.
The Nuggets (25-11) also extended their winning streak over the Warriors to six games dating to a loss in the 2022 play-offs.
Stephen Curry led Golden State with 30 points but also committed a costly turnover late, with Jamal Murray stealing the ball from him with four seconds remaining to set up Jokic's winner.
The Warriors (16-18) lost for the third time in four games following a five-game winning streak.
Antetokounmpo powers Bucks past Wembanyama, Spurs
Victor Wembanyama sent the San Antonio Spurs fans into a frenzy with a huge 3-pointer.
Giannis Antetokounmpo promptly silenced the crowd with a 3-point play of his own.
Antetokounmpo scored 44 points and the Milwaukee Bucks pulled out a 125-121 win at San Antonio to snap a two-game losing streak.
The first NBA meeting between Antetokounmpo and Wembanyama was a back-and-forth affair in which neither team led by more five points in the final quarter.
Wembanyama tied the game at 121 on a 3-pointer with 1:09 remaining, but the Bucks responded on their next trip down the court, as Antetokounmpo put Milwaukee ahead on a driving dunk and added a free throw after being fouled.
Antetokounmpo also had 14 rebounds and seven assists for the Bucks (25-10), who got back in the win column after being swept in a home-and-home series with the Indiana Pacers.
Damian Lillard scored 11 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter and chipped in 10 assists.
Wembanyama blocked Lillard's layup attempt right before his 3-pointer, and later blocked an attempted dunk by Antetokounmpo with less than 30 seconds remaining. But on the Spurs next possession, Tre Jones missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer.
Wembanyama finished with 27 points, nine rebounds and five blocked shots, while Devin Vassell led San Antonio with 34 points.
The Spurs (5-29) lost their fourth in a row and for the ninth time in the last 10 games.
Nikola Jokic had other ideas.
Jokic hit a long 3-pointer at the buzzer to lift the Nuggets to a 130-127 win over the Warriors on Thursday to cap an 18-point, fourth-quarter comeback.
Jokic's improbable 3 came from just inside of half-court and over the outstretched arms of Warriors centre Kevon Looney.
Jokic, who had just tied the game with 26 seconds left on a short jumper, finished with 34 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.
Aaron Gordon sparked Denver's furious rally, scoring 15 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, as the defending champions won for the eighth time in nine games.
The Nuggets (25-11) also extended their winning streak over the Warriors to six games dating to a loss in the 2022 play-offs.
Stephen Curry led Golden State with 30 points but also committed a costly turnover late, with Jamal Murray stealing the ball from him with four seconds remaining to set up Jokic's winner.
The Warriors (16-18) lost for the third time in four games following a five-game winning streak.
Antetokounmpo powers Bucks past Wembanyama, Spurs
Victor Wembanyama sent the San Antonio Spurs fans into a frenzy with a huge 3-pointer.
Giannis Antetokounmpo promptly silenced the crowd with a 3-point play of his own.
Antetokounmpo scored 44 points and the Milwaukee Bucks pulled out a 125-121 win at San Antonio to snap a two-game losing streak.
The first NBA meeting between Antetokounmpo and Wembanyama was a back-and-forth affair in which neither team led by more five points in the final quarter.
Wembanyama tied the game at 121 on a 3-pointer with 1:09 remaining, but the Bucks responded on their next trip down the court, as Antetokounmpo put Milwaukee ahead on a driving dunk and added a free throw after being fouled.
Antetokounmpo also had 14 rebounds and seven assists for the Bucks (25-10), who got back in the win column after being swept in a home-and-home series with the Indiana Pacers.
Damian Lillard scored 11 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter and chipped in 10 assists.
Wembanyama blocked Lillard's layup attempt right before his 3-pointer, and later blocked an attempted dunk by Antetokounmpo with less than 30 seconds remaining. But on the Spurs' next possession, Tre Jones missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer.
Wembanyama finished with 27 points, nine rebounds and five blocked shots, while Devin Vassell led San Antonio with 34 points.
The Spurs (5-29) lost their fourth in a row and for the ninth time in the last 10 games.
The reigning NBA Finals MVP made a crucial block to deny Joel Embiid a lay-up to tie the game up with under two seconds left on the clock after James Harden's three-point attempt rimmed out.
Antetokounmpo had already scored 40 points with 14 rebounds and six assists, with his third block proving a decisive intervention.
"Just let my instincts play," Antetokounmpo told reporters. "The ball went to Embiid and I just tried to jump as high as I can and try to make a play.
"I knew it was going to be a quick one. I felt it. When you get in that position and you're down one, with the clock running, you get it and go quick. I tried to time it.
"It worked out, sometimes it doesn’t work out. This time it worked out in our favour."
The play was reviewed after it was initially seen as a goal tend which was cleared, forcing a jump ball which allowed the clock to wind down.
Embiid said: "I thought it was close. I probably should’ve gone up harder. In that situation I didn’t know how much time was left.
"I was just trying to get the ball off quickly. I thought it was close. I didn’t know if it was a goal tend or not."
Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said it was "just a special block", while 76ers counterpart Doc Rivers labelled it "spectacular".
The result means the Bucks move into second spot in the Eastern Conference with a 47-28 record, behind the Miami Heat (48-28), with the Boston Celtics (47-29) in third and the 76ers (46-29) in fourth.
The 76ers have suffered successive losses to last season's NBA Finalists, the Bucks and the Phoenix Suns, in a wake-up call to their title credentials.
"We've got to do a better job," Embiid said. "Against Phoenix we were right there. Tonight we had a lead, just like against Phoenix.
"It's a game of runs. Every team is going to make their runs. We just need to stay calm and know what we need to do. Last game showed why those two teams went to the finals."
Leonard, who missed all of last season after sustaining an ACL injury in the 2021 playoffs, played 21 minutes off the bench, shooting six-of-12 from the field, including a crucial two-pointer with under two minutes left at Crypto.com Arena.
The Lakers had hit the lead in the last quarter after LeBron James' block on Paul George set up Lonnie Walker IV's jam, but the Clippers were clutch down the stretch to extend their winning streak over their rivals to eight games.
The Clippers' current eight-game winning run over the Lakers is the second-longest in franchise history, behind 11 from 2014 to 2016.
James, in his 20th season in the NBA, scored 20 points with 10 rebounds, six assists and two blocks, while Anthony Davis was exceptional with 25 points including two triples and eight rebounds.
But the three-point issues that plagued the Lakers last season reared their head again, going at 20 per cent from beyond the arc as a team. The Lakers' two-game three-point percentage of 22 per cent this season is the worst by any team through two games in NBA history (minimum 60 attempts).
Russell Westbrook was a major culprit, managing only two points in 27 minutes, shooting none-of-11 from the field and none-of-six from beyond the arc.
Giannis in top form as Bucks open with 76ers win
The Philadelphia 76ers lost for the second straight game to open the season after James Harden missed a floater off the glass on their last offensive play in a 90-88 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
The 76ers were booed by their fans at Wells Fargo Center in the third quarter, before rallying with a 13-0 run in the fourth, led by Harden who had eight points during that span, finishing with 31 for the game, along with eight rebounds and nine rebounds.
But Harden, who went one-for-seven from three-point range, missed his late chance straight after Wesley Matthews' triple as the Bucks won their season opener.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was in MVP form, having 13 points, six rebounds, four assists and three blocks in the first half, finishing with 21 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists with three blocks. Joel Embiid was kept scoreless in the second half, to have only 15 points with 12 rebounds for the game.
The reigning champions, playing in the first leg of a six-game road trip, were brushed aside by the Bucks, who were led by Giannis Antetokounmpo with 30 points, 12 rebounds and five assists at the Fiserv Forum.
The defeat means the Warriors are ranked 29th in the NBA on the road this season and have an 0-8 record on the road to teams with plus-.500 records.
Golden State has also given up at least 114 points in every road game this season, which Kerr was quick to point out.
"In the road losses, our defense has been bad," Kerr told reporters. "For whatever reason, the splits are pretty dramatic. Our defense is pretty good at home and bad on the road. We've got to turn that around."
Kerr also pointed to the free-throws as an issue, with the Bucks scoring 26-of-32 from the stripe compared to Golden State's 15-of-19.
"It's basically the difference in the game when we lose," he said. "It usually feels like that's the difference.
"At half-time it's a 10-point game and they had 10 more free-throws than us, despite the fact that we weren’t shooting the ball very well, we weren’t playing very well, it was a six-point game with a minute and half left in the second quarter. We were right there but the free-throws are a killer."
Kerr along with Stephen Curry both received technical fouls in the first quarter, after a play where last season's Finals MVP appeared to be fouled by Wes Matthews as he shot a three-pointer, yet no call was forthcoming as Bobby Portis scored down the other end, leaving the pair incensed.
"There were several non-calls in the paint," Kerr said. "I felt like we were on the bad end of things to start the game. Steph Curry gets hit on the head on a three-point shot, that needs to be called. That's what he does. That's Steph Curry. You can't miss that.
"We were getting frustrated with some no-calls and it led to a pretty choppy night."
Kerr and Curry's technical fouls were two of five for the game, including Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer.
"I have no comment about my technical," Budenholzer said. "The game just had a really poor flow for a while. Lots of free-throws, delays of game, technicals, everything, the flow tonight was poor."
The Warriors were beaten 118-99 by a Giannis Antetokounmpo-inspired Bucks on Thursday to make it four defeats in their past five games.
Despite losing to the Dallas Mavericks, the New Orleans Pelicans, the Memphis Grizzlies and the Bucks, Kerr's side are second in the Western Conference with a 30-11 record.
Without the injured Draymond Green once again, the Warriors showed some fight in the second half to reduce a 39-point deficit to 18, but that was as close as they got to the Bucks.
"I know we just got our butts kicked, but we're just in a rough patch in our season," Kerr said at his media conference.
"It happens to every team, every year pretty much with very few exceptions.
"We're in a little bit of a rut and we were playing a team that was ready and played a great first half. We're a little out of sorts. We've just got to get back on track, and we will."
The Warriors are 28-6 this season with Green in the side but also 2-4 in games he has missed, highlighting his importance.
Klay Thompson's long-awaited return from injury on Sunday coincided with Green's calf tightness meaning the Warriors are yet to have that pair and two-time MVP Stephen Curry together.
Kerr said after Tuesday's 116-108 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies that Green would not be returning during their four-game road trip despite some reports.
"I think it's doubtful right now that he would join us," Kerr told reporters. "He's doing well.
"With the back-to-back, it seems far-fetched to think that we'll just fly him out and play him. He's not ready to do that. We'll see how it goes the next couple of days."
The return of Thompson, with the Warriors second in the west with a 30-10 record, marks a new beginning according to Kerr who said they will "shuffle the deck".
Thompson, who had not played for 941 days prior to Sunday's return, has spent 20 minutes on court in both appearances.
"That'll be a process as he continues to ramp up his minutes and we get Draymond back," Kerr said. "You'll see the team start to form in terms of how we're going to close games, not only offensively bur defensively.
"In a strange way, these three to four weeks are going to be about re-establishing our identity as a team. We did a great job in the first 40 games in becoming a great defensive team.
"A lot of guys have played important minutes and established roles but now that's going to be shaping up a bit because Klay is going to play a huge role.
"We've learned a lot about our young guys. Over this next month we're going to shuffle the deck and try some different combinations and try get everything in order for the stretch run and playoffs."
He added: "It's no secret that down the stretch we're going to want Steph [Curry] and Klay shooting big shots. Wigs [Andrew Wiggins] can also attack and get to the rim. We're going to call a lot of plays for Klay and try to get the ball in his hands."
Stephen Curry inspired the Warriors on Wednesday, finishing with 29 points, eight rebounds and five assists as Golden State saw off the Milwaukee Bucks in style, winning 125-90.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 23 points on his return to the Bucks' fold, but it was not enough to extend Milwaukee's winning streak to seven.
Kerr has looked to rotate his roster this season, and he believes the competition for places, is helping to drive his team's push for the playoffs, as Golden State moved to a 34-30 record.
"I'm really so impressed with this group, and I have been all year," Kerr told the San Francisco Chronicle.
"Chemistry and commitment to each other, the professionalism, staying with it when it's not their turn."
Draymond Green added: "I can't take plays off, there's no reason.
"I think that's one of the beautiful things about this. Everybody should be flying around, you're not playing a million minutes, so give everything you've got."
Despite losing by 35 points, Bucks coach Doc Rivers pointed fingers at Milwaukee's offense, not their defense.
"I really didn't think this was our defense, I thought it was our offense," coach Doc Rivers said.
"I didn't think we played solid offense all night."
The three-time NBA All-Star underwent a procedure to repair torn ligaments in his wrist in July and has yet to play for the Bucks this season.
Middleton's last appearance was back in April when he sprained the medial collateral ligament in his left knee in Game 2 of the opening round of the playoffs against the Chicago Bulls.
The Bucks went on to lose to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semi-finals in the absence of Middleton.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Bucks are about to have one of their star men back, though, when they host the Lakers at Fiserv Forum.
The Bucks sit second in the East having amassed a 15-5 record through 20 games of the 2022-23 NBA season, three games back on the 18-4 Celtics.
Middleton, 30, averaged 20 points, five rebounds and five assists per game this season, but has been diagnosed with a sprained MCL after coming down awkwardly in the fourth quarter of Game 2 against the Bulls.
The scoring forward played a key role in the Bucks' championship last season, increasing his averages to 23 points, seven rebounds and five assists while playing over 40 minutes per contest during the 2020-21 postseason.
In the 16 games Middleton has missed this season, the Bucks are 7-9, going 3-5 on the road.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has played in nine games this season without his All-Star teammate, and has scored 26.6 points per game at 49 per cent shooting – both down from his full-season averages of 29.9 points at 55 per cent.
However, in the one game this season between the Bucks and Bulls where Middleton was absent, Milwaukee dominated 126-98, as Jrue Holiday picked up the slack with 27 points and seven assists.
According to the Bucks, Middleton will be re-assessed in two weeks.
The series is locked at 1-1 after two games, and heads to Chicago for Game 3 and Game 4.
James missed his ninth game of the season on Friday as he continues to battle the niggling injury, but the Lakers overcame his absence with a stirring 123-122 win at Crypto.com Arena.
The Bucks held a one-point lead with 39 seconds remaining, with Giannis Antetokounmpo recording 34 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists while Damian Lillard backed him up with 28 points.
However, Russell scored 21 of his points in the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead jumper with 5.9 seconds remaining on the clock, to put the hosts up one.
There was more drama to come in the dying moments as Spencer Dinwiddie blocked Lillard's attempted buzzer-beater to preserve the win, improving the Lakers to 35-30.
Russell's nine 3-pointers were a joint-career best, while he also dished out nine assists. Speaking after the win, the 28-year-old said he always had confidence in his ability to deliver in clutch moments.
"On the floor, I've always felt like I was capable of doing things. Getting hot makes it a little more exciting," Russell said.
"Off the floor, obviously you all know what I've been through. Public humiliation has done nothing but mould me into the killer that you all see today.
"I never lack confidence. I never fear confrontation. I want all the smoke. I just feel confident in what I bring to the basketball game, so whatever room I walk in, I'm confident."
Lakers team-mate Austin Reaves – who added 18 points – said: "D-Lo just stepped up and won us the game, and obviously with Spence with the defense on that last possession.
"Just seeing D-Lo take over the game, I constantly kept telling him in timeouts, 'take us home'."
While the victory was a crucial one for the Lakers' playoff chances, the Bucks sit third in the Eastern Conference with a 41-23 record, and coach Doc Rivers knows the defeat will have little impact on their long-term ambitions.
He does, however, hope it serves as part of a learning curve, saying: "You want to win all these games, but that's the stuff that we're going to keep doing more and more until it becomes us.
"There was a stretch where Damian and Giannis were playing a two-man game, and it was unstoppable. We want to encourage that more and more.
"It is a missed opportunity, but if we had won, that doesn't change anything. We're trying to go and get better.
"I thought we had the game in our hands, and we let it go. That happens, and it'll happen again, and we'll win some the other way, too."
The Lakers are back in action against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, while the Bucks remain in Los Angeles to face the Clippers on the same day.
Brown was ejected after he stormed onto the court to confront referee Intae Hwang during the fourth quarter of the Kings' 143-142 overtime loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.
The Kings have lost three of their last five games, but coach Brown was not willing to let his team take full accountability for the loss to the Bucks.
Instead, during his postgame news conference, Brown wheeled out the technology to show what he believes were inconsistent calls from the referee.
"The referees are human, and they're going to make mistakes, but you just hope that there's some sort of consistency and there's some sort of communication between the refs," Brown said.
"The refs tonight, they were great, they communicated with me all night. But in terms of consistency, you guys saw it right here. In my opinion, the consistency wasn't here tonight.
"We had a chance to win the game and we didn't get it done," Brown said. "But I'm telling you, man, to go through [the inconsistency in calls], it's tough, man. It's tough to go through that."
Despite Brown's ejection, the Kings came back from 12 points behind to force overtime, in which they went ahead, only to be condemned to a defeat by Damian Lillard's long 3-pointer just before the buzzer.
Bucks coach Adrian Griffin said: "It was like we had the game and they stole it from us and we took it back at the end.
"When they went up six, it would have been easy for us to throw in the towel, but those guys are resilient. Probably one of our best wins of the season."
The Bucks look to be back on form after a slump earlier in January, and have now won their last three games. They sit second in the Eastern Conference, with the Kings sixth in the West.
Thompson started on fire, scoring 21 points (8-12 from the field, 5-8 from three), with three rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block as the Warriors went into the half-time leading 67-58.
In an interesting strategic decision, Milwaukee decided to face-guard Steph Curry all the way up to the half-court line when he did not have the ball.
It forced Curry into a decision, where he could either scratch and claw to try and play his usual game, or he could drag his defender out to near half-court, allowing his team-mates to play four-on-four with plenty of extra space.
Curry finished with only seven field goal attempts – his first game this season with less than 10 – but had eight assists, and opened up the game for Thompson and Jordan Poole to dominate.
Thompson finished with a season-high 38 points (15-24 from the field, 8-14 from three), while Poole collected an efficient 30 (9-16 from the field, 5-10 from three, 7-7 from the line).
It was also yet another glimpse of what the seventh overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft, Jonathan Kuminga, could look like when he is fully formed as the 19-year-old scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, spending long periods of the game holding up defensively against Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Antetokounmpo was the sole bright spot for Milwaukee, scoring 31 points (9-17 from the field, 12-18 from the line) to go with his eight rebounds.
Trailing the defending NBA champions 38-19 after the opening period, the Knicks found their rhythm behind Julius Randle's game-high 32 points.
Derrick Rose came off the bench to score 23 and RJ Barrett added 22 for the Knicks as they improved to 6-3 overall and 4-1 on the road.
"Obviously, you don't want to get down like we did, but we did," Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters. "It's a long game. You've got to keep fighting and get it to a manageable number. Once we got going a little bit and we made a couple hustle plays, it galvanized us and gave us energy."
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 25 points and Grayson Allen 22 for the Bucks, but Milwaukee's other three starters combined for just 15 points as the champs shot 40.2 per cent from the field and were out-rebounded 59-37.
The Bucks (4-5) have lost four of their last five games and are 1-4 at home.
Clippers fight back to down Timberwolves
The Los Angeles Clippers mounted an impressive comeback of their own, trailing the Minnesota Timberwolves by 21 at one point before rallying for a 104-84 victory. Paul George had 21 points, 11 rebounds and four assists to lead the Clippers (4-4), while Karl-Anthony Towns had 20 points and eight rebounds for Minnesota (3-5).
Kevin Durant's 29 points and 10 rebounds lifted the Brooklyn Nets (6-3) to a 96-90 road win against the Detroit Pistons (1-8). First overall draft pick Cade Cunningham's shooting woes continued as he went six-for-17 from the field but the rookie led the Pistons with 17.
Stephen Curry made just five of 15 shots from the field, all but two of those attempts coming from three-point range, but the Golden State Warriors (7-1) still rolled to a 126-85 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans (1-9) thanks to 26 points from Jordan Poole.
Morant misfires in loss to Wizards
Ja Morant has been one of the NBA's most effective scorers so far this season but the Washington Wizards (6-3) shut down the Memphis star in a 115-87 rout of the Grizzlies (5-4). Morant entered the game averaging 27.0 points and shooting 52.2 per cent from the field but made just four of 17 shots Friday on the way to an 11-point night.
