The Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid has been named the NBA's most valuable player for the 2022-23 season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks was third.

Embiid won his second consecutive NBA scoring title in the regular season, with a career-high season average of 33.1 points per game.

The six-time All Star has missed the Sixers' last two games with a knee ligament sprain, including Monday's win over the Boston Celtics in the first game of their Eastern Conference semi-final.

Embiid is only the second African player to be crowned MVP, after Hakeem Olajuwon in the 1993-94 season, while it is the fifth consecutive season an international player has won the MVP trophy, which in December was renamed the Michael Jordan Trophy.

Lakers win semi-final opener

On Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors 117-112 in the opening game of their Western Conference semi-final.

Anthony Davis led the 17-time champions with 30 points and 23 rebounds, with LeBron James also recording a double-double of 22 points and 11 rebounds.

The Lakers had opened a 14-point lead with less than six minutes remaining of the fourth quarter but were forced to hold off a late surge by the Warriors, with a flurry of three-pointers seeing them draw level at 112-112 with little more than a minute and a half to go.

But a D'Angelo Russell lay-up and James free throw edged the Lakers back ahead, before two further free throws from Dennis Schroder wrapped up the away win.

Game two of the best-of-seven series is on Thursday.

"We know this team - they're the defending champions," said Davis. "No lead is safe against them, they can get hot at any moment.

"But this is just a mindset for our team, knowing we can beat this team, it's a confidence booster for us.

"We've been able to get this one in game one, but we haven't done anything yet."

In the Eastern Conference semi-finals, the New York Knicks levelled their series with the Miami Heat at 1-1 with a 111-105 win in game two.

Jalen Brunson scored 30 points for the Knicks, while team-mate Julius Randle made 25 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists on his return to the squad after missing the series opener with a sprained ankle.

Miami's top scorer Jimmy Butler sat out Tuesday's game with the same injury, with Caleb Martin leading the Heat in his place with 22 points.

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