Around the Association: 76ers and Bucks square off, PG returns, Cade and KD duel

This article is part of our NBA Daily Recap series.

Welcome to Around the Association! Four days per week (Monday through Thursday), this article will serve as a comprehensive recap of the previous night's NBA action, taking you through all of the biggest performances, notable box scores, injury updates and any other fantasy-relevant headlines from around the league.

Last night had five games of madness -- here is all you need to know:

Nightly Notables

Bucks and 76ers battle in Philly

• Two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference squared off when the Bucks traveled to Philadelphia to face the 76ers. Milwaukee rallied back in the fourth quarter while Giannis Antetokounmpo saved the day with a clutch block to seal a 118-116 win. The Greek Freak ended the contest with a game-high 40 points (16-24 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 7-10 FT), 14 rebounds, six assists, one steal and three blocks over 37 minutes. The Bucks now sit just a half-game behind the Heat for the No. 1 seed.
  • Khris Middleton was in his bag during the comeback win, totaling 22 points (8-17 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 3-5 FT), nine rebounds, seven assists, one steal and one block over 39 minutes. While many were questioning whether the veteran wing deserved a spot on the All-Star team, Middleton has responded by averaging 24.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game since the break. 
• James Harden had a big scoring night in defeat, producing 32 points (9-17 FG, 4-10 3Pt, 10-12 FT), five rebounds, nine assists and one block over 37 minutes. Harden has averaged 22.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 9.2 assist per game over the month of March while ranking as the 23rd nine-category fantasy option on a per-game basis over that span. Overall, it was a strong night for Harden, though he did badly brick the go-ahead three-point attempt late in the fourth.
  • Joel Embiid has had back-to-back opportunities to capitalize on his MVP campaign, but the team has was defeated by Phoenix and now Milwaukee. The dominant center still had a big outing, ending with 29 points (11-21 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 4-6 FT), 14 rebounds, seven assists and one steal over 39 minutes.
  • Tobias Harris: 22 points (10-19 FG, 2-8 3Pt), 11 rebounds, six assists and three steals over 36 minutes. 

PG returns in extreme Clippers fashion 

• Paul George is officially back. After sitting out the last three months, the star forward helped rally the Clippers back from down 25 points to take down the Jazz 121-115. George recorded 34 points (10-20 FG, 6-9 3Pt, 8-11 FT), two rebounds, six assists, one block and four steals across 31 minutes. With the West wide open, do not sleep on the Clippers to make serious noise in the playoffs. They are my personal dark-horse team entering the playoffs.
  • Reggie Jackson struggled from deep but still ended with 21 points (8-24 FG, 2-11 3Pt, 3-3 FT), three rebounds, five assists and one block in 37 minutes. The 31-year-old is averaging 16.9 points per game this season, which would be his highest since his 2015-16 campaign with Detroit.
• Despite the horrible loss, Donovan Mitchell turned in another fine performance. The All-Star ended with 33 points (12-21 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 9-12 FT), two rebounds, six assists and one steal over 36 minutes. Mitchell is averaging 30.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game over his last seven outings.
  • Mike Conley: 19 points (7-13 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 1-1 FT), two rebounds, three assists and one steal across 33 minutes.

Cunningham and Durant go toe-to-toe

• The Pistons got off to a quick start against the Nets, but Brooklyn was able to rally back to a 130-123 win at home. Kevin Durant was unguardable, finishing with 41 points (14-23 FG, 4-6 3Pt, 9-9 FT), 11 rebounds, five assists, three blocks and one steal across 39 minutes. The scoring machine has recorded at least 35 points in four out of his last six showings.
  • Kyrie Irving: 24 points (7-18 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 6-6 FT), one rebound, four assists and one steal over 39 minutes.
• Despite Detroit blowing the lead in the end, Cade Cunningham had yet another standout showing late in the season. The No. 1 overall pick matched his career-high with 34 points (13-24 FG, 5-11 3Pt, 3-3 FT), one rebound, six assists and two steals across 32 minutes. Cunningham continues to give Pistons fans loads of optimism for the future, averaging 21.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game since the All-Star break. With Jerami Grant (calf) shut down for the rest of the season, Cunningham should see his fantasy value rise in his last few appearances of the year. 
  • Killian Hayes: 13 points (6-10 FG, 1-3 3Pt), four rebounds, three assists, one block and four steals in 33 minutes

Lakers keep slipping

• Luka Doncic dominated the Lakers, leading Dallas to a 128-110 win at home. The young star ended with 34 points (12-23 FG, 4-12 3Pt, 6-7 FT), 12 rebounds, 12 assists and one steal over 30 minutes. Surprisingly, this was Doncic's first triple-double of the month, but the 23-year-old is averaging 29.5 points, 9.2 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game in March. 
  • Reggie Bullock has been playing some of his better basketball lately, finishing with 17 points (6-9 FG, 5-8 3Pt), one rebound, one assist and two steals over 33 minutes. The veteran is averaging just 8.6 points on the season, but Bullock has recorded 20.0 points per game over his last two contests. 
• LeBron James (ankle) was sidelined for Los Angeles as it lost yet another crucial game. The Lakers are now 31-44 and have fallen out of the play-in competition, sitting as the 11th seed in the West. Russell Westbrook had a strong game in the loss, ending with 25 points (9-17 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 6-6 FT), eight rebounds and six assists over 32 minutes. The veteran guard has improved his play lately, averaging 21.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.2 assists while shooting 41.9 percent from deep over his last six appearances. 
  • Malik Monk saw more usage with James sidelined, putting up a team-high 28 points (10-16 FG, 6-10 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block over 32 minutes. The 24-year-old has recorded at least 20 points in three straight outings, averaging 24.7 points per game over that span. 

DeRozan carries Bulls

• The Chicago Bulls recorded a much-needed 107-94 win over the Washington Wizards behind a strong showing from DeMar DeRozan. The veteran forward ended with a game-high 32 points (12-27 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 7-7 FT), seven rebounds, four assists and two steals across 36 minutes. DeRozan has now recorded back-to-back 30-point outings for Chicago as the team gears up for their first post-season run since 2017.
  • Nikola Vucevic had a monster outing in the win, posting 27 points (12-19 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 1-1 FT), five rebounds, four assists and one steal over 30 minutes. This was the 6-foot-10 center's highest-scoring outing since Feb. 12. After averaging a career-high 23.4 points per game a season ago, Vucevic's scoring figure is down to 18.1 this year.
• Rui Hachimura finished with a team-best 21 points (8-10 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 3-4 FT) and four rebounds across 31 minutes. This just marked the forward's second 20-point outing of the season. With Kyle Kuzma (knee) still out of Washington's lineup, Hachimura has been averaging 12.8 points and 4.8 rebounds over his last six appearances. 
  • Deni Avdija: 14 points (6-10 FG, 2-5 3Pt), eight rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal over 29 minutes.

Best and Worst of the Night

• Best of the Night: Giannis Antetokounmpo - 40 points (16-24 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 7-10 FT), 14 rebounds, six assists, one steal and three blocks over 37 minutes.
• Worst of the Night: Marcus Morris - three points (1-6 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 1-2 FT), four rebounds and one assist over 27 minutes.
• Rookie of the Night: Cade Cunningham - 34 points (13-24 FG, 5-11 3Pt, 3-3 FT), one rebound, six assists and two steals across 32 minutes.

A Look Ahead to Wednesday Night

• The Heat and Celtics face off in Boston.
• The Timberwolves look to take down the Raptors in Toronto.
• The Spurs aim for a much needed win against a Ja Morant-less Grizzlies team.
• Luka Doncic and the Mavericks battle Darius Garland and the Cavs in Cleveland.