LOS ANGELES — LeBron James outgunned Zion Williamson as the Los Angeles Lakers returned to action just 24 hours after the searing emotion of Kobe Bryant"s memorial service. James, who earlier Tuesday said he was "emotionally a wreck" following Bryant"s death last month in a helicopter crash, scored a season-high 40 points in a 118-109 win over the New Orleans Pelicans at the Staples Center. On Monday, the venue had hosted a star-studded memorial to Bryant as the Lakers and Los Angeles bade a wrenching farewell to one of the city"s most beloved sporting figures. However, James and the Lakers swiftly got back into the winning groove on Tuesday in a free-flowing contest against a Pelicans side led by No. 1 draft pick Williamson. The hulking 19-year-old New Orleans star once again served notice of his talents with a 29-point display as the Pelicans pushed the Lakers all the way. James admitted afterwards he had been impressed by Williamson"s performance after a Lakers win which extended their lead at the top of the Western Conference. "Every game is going to be an opportunity for him to get better and a learning experience for him," James said of Williamson. "But the kid is special man. They got a good one in him," added James, who also had eight rebounds, six assists and seven turnovers in his 34 minutes on court. Anthony Davis added 21 points for the Lakers with Danny Green (17 points) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (15) also reaching double figures. Former Lakers power forward Brandon Ingram led the Pelicans scoring with 34 points. The Denver Nuggets are five games behind the Lakers in second place in the Western standings after cruising past the Detroit Pistons 115-98 on Tuesday. Elsewhere, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 19 points as the Milwaukee Bucks bagged their 50th win of the season with a 108-97 defeat of the Toronto Raptors. In a potential preview of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Bucks laid down a marker with a dominant second-half display to claim victory at Toronto"s Scotiabank Arena. Victory was sweet for the Bucks, who lost to the Raptors in last season"s Eastern Conference finals at the same venue despite being the top seeds heading into the playoffs. Antetokounmpo later admitted last season"s game-six defeat at the venue had preoccupied him. "You always remember the last time you play here, the problems you had," Antetokounmpo said. "It was definitely on my mind." The Raptors had led 52-50 at halftime, but Milwaukee took a grip on the contest with a superb third-quarter performance to open up a double-digit lead. The Bucks outscored the hosts 34-19 in the third, and although the Raptors closed to within seven points with two minutes remaining, a superb three-pointer from Antetokounmpo to make it 104-94 helped the visitors close out the win. "We just come out and try to do our job," Antetokounmpo said. "We have a winning culture. It doesn"t matter if you are hurt, or tired -- the next guy up is ready to go. "Everybody wants to play, everybody wants to win, and that"s why we win games." Reigning NBA MVP Antetokounmpo finished with 19 points, 19 rebounds and eight assists with four turnovers. Khris Middleton led the scoring for the Bucks with 22 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Eric Bledsoe (17 points) and Brook Lopez (15) also cracked double figures for Milwaukee. The Bucks are already assured of their playoff berth after building the best record in the NBA at 50-8 to lead the Eastern Conference ahead of second-placed Toronto. The Raptors meanwhile fell to 42-16 but remain firmly on track for a postseason spot. Cameroonian international Pascal Siakam led the scoring for Toronto with 22 points while Fred VanVleet had 14 points. The Boston Celtics remain in third place in the Eastern Conference after a 118-106 defeat of the Portland Trail Blazers. Jayson Tatum scored 36 points for the Celtics in the win. Curry poised for return on March 1: Kerr Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is being lined up to return from injury in this weekend"s game against the Washington Wizards, head coach Steve Kerr confirmed Tuesday. Speaking ahead of the Warriors" clash with the Sacramento Kings, Kerr said Curry was targeting Sunday"s game with the Wizards as a possible return date. Curry has not played since fracturing his hand in the Warriors" fourth game of the season against Phoenix on Oct. 30. The Warriors, who also had to grapple with the departure of Kevin Durant last season and long-term injury to Klay Thompson, are currently languishing at the foot of the Western Conference with a 12-45 record. Kerr however handed the Warriors a rare piece of good news on Tuesday after confirming a report that Curry was set to return on Sunday. "That is the hope," Kerr said. "We"re going to re-evaluate on Saturday. He won"t come back before (March 1) but I know he"s had that date in his mind," Kerr added. "He"ll continue to work this week and we"ll make that determination on Saturday whether he"ll play on Sunday." Kerr said Curry"s rehabilitation had been mostly restricted to conditioning and shooting drills. The team planned to put Curry through his paces in more practice games this week. "He looks good," Kerr said. "He"s only had one scrimmage game because that"s the only practice that we had that enabled that. "He"s been working with the team but most of that is drill work. But he"s been doing his post-practice workouts for several weeks and really working hard on his shooting and conditioning. "He"s doing everything he possibly can to prepare for his return. But ultimately it"s not the same as being out there and getting knocked around a little bit. "In the next couple of days we"ll try and simulate some action as best we can." Curry"s return to fitness is also good news for the United States Olympic basketball team, with the Golden State ace determined to make the team for this summer"s game. — AFP