Giannis Antetokounmpo shook off a four-point first half and finished with 30 points and 12 rebounds as the Milwaukee Bucks rallied from a 19-point deficit and beat the Indiana Pacers 120-112 on Tuesday.

Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP who missed the previous three games with a non-COVID illness, stepped up in the second half after the Bucks fell behind 83-64 in the third quarter.

Bennedict Mathurin led the Pacers with 25 points.

Celtics rout Raptors 125-71 >> Jayson Tatum scored 18 of his 23 points in Boston’s dominant third quarter, and the Celtics routed Toronto 125-71, extending the Raptors’ losing streak to 11 games.

NFL

Cowboys release Elliott >> The Cowboys released running back Ezekiel Elliott, a quiet end to a Dallas career that started with two rushing titles in three seasons but faded quickly from there.

The move was the end of Elliott’s second stint with the team that drafted him fourth overall in 2016. The Cowboys dumped him in a cost-cutting move after the 2022 season.

This time, Elliott’s release could give the 29-year-old a chance to be a late add for a playoff team looking for veteran help at running back.

NHL

Dach lifts Canadiens past Vegas >> Kirby Dach scored midway through the third period to cap a three-goal Montreal Canadiens rally and end the Golden Knights’ six-game winning streak with a 3-2 victory in Las Vegas.

Chychrun scores 11th goal in Caps’ win >> Jakob Chychrun scored his 11th goal of the season to tie for the most among NHL defensemen, and the Capitals beat the Boston Bruins 3-1 in Washington.

Maple Leafs win, tie for division lead >> David Kampf, Steven Lorentz and John Tavares scored as Toronto beat the Islanders 3-1 to move into a tie with idle Florida for the top spot in the Atlantic Division.

Women’s basketball

Werth leads USF past Santa Clara >> Freya Werth scored a game-high 22 points as San Francisco (6-6, 3-0 WCC) raced out to a 12-0 lead on its way to a 65-53 win at Santa Clara (7-7, 1-3).

Olivia Pollerd and Maddie Naro led the Broncos with 13 points apiece.