Damian Lillard #0 of the Milwaukee Bucks dribbles the ball against Grayson Allen #8 of the Phoenix Suns during the first half at Fiserv Forum on March 17, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Getty Images via AFP
Damian Lillard delivered with teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo out due to a hamstring injury, scoring 31 points and distributing 16 assists in Milwaukee’s 140-129 NBA triumph over Phoenix on Sunday.
Bobby Portis added 31 points and 10 rebounds off the bench for the host Bucks, who improved to 44-24 and tightened their grip on second place in the Eastern Conference.
READ: NBA: Celtics ‘Big Three’ score 87 to help Boston blow past Suns
NBA: Bucks towed by Lillard
Lillard, the first player in club history with 30 points and 15 assists in the same game, praised Portis and others for stepping up with Greek superstar Antetokounmpo sidelined.
“It was huge,” Lillard said. “One of our biggest strengths is our depth. Bobby Portis is a starter on any other team but for our team he knows what his job is.
“Down a guy like Giannis, you know everybody is going to have to step their game up. We’ve been in this situation a couple of times this year and every time he has come through and delivered.
“I knew I wouldn’t have to come out and overdo it. Feed him. Feed everybody else, pick my spots and be aggressive.”
READ: NBA: Denver back on top as Porter shines in Miami win
NBA: Bucks – Lillard’s 14 points, 12 assists in 1st half
Lillard had 14 points and 12 assists in the first half as Milwaukee took an 82-60 half-time edge, the Bucks matching an NBA record held by the Suns and Utah Jazz by sinking 18 first-half 3-pointers.
Portis had 25 first-half points on 10-of-13 shooting, going 5-of-5 from beyond the arc as the Bucks went 24-of-41 from 3-point range overall.
“It’s fun after all the work you put in,” Portis said. “Just having good teammates and coaches that believe in you. We go through this marathon 82-game season together and try to build great camaraderie and chemistry.”
Lillard made 10-of-19 shots from the floor, 4-of-8 from 3-point range, and all seven free throw attempts. His efforts included a buzzer-beater from the mid-court logo to give the Bucks a 109-94 lead after three quarters.
“Keeping their defense honest,” said Lillard. “They probably thought with Giannis out, I was going to just try and force it. I just took advantage of what their defense was doing. They overhelped. I was making the simple plays. Guys made shots.
READ: NBA: Doncic scores 27 as Mavericks tame Bulls
“It makes their defense push and choose. I was able to take advantage of it. When we play that way, we play our best — and I think I play my best.”
Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton, who missed 16 games with a sprained left ankle, added 22 points in his return after missing six weeks.
Bradley Beal led the Suns with 28 points while Grayson Allen added 25, Devin Booker netted 23 and Kevin Durant scored 11 points with nine rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocked shots.
Phoenix fell to 39-29, just behind Sacramento for the sixth and final Western Conference playoff spot.
READ: NBA: Steph Curry returns, Warriors beat injury-hit Lakers
Two epic last-shot wins
Kyrie Irving sank a left-handed 20-foot floater shot at the final buzzer to give the Dallas Mavericks a 107-105 home victory over Denver, snapping the Nuggets’ five-game win streak.
Denver’s Jamal Murray scored 12 points in the fourth quarter and sparked a 20-4 Nuggets run that gave Denver a 105-102 lead on a Murray 3-pointer.
NBA scoring leader Luka Doncic, the Slovenian guard who had 23 of his game-high 37 points in the first half, answered on a 3-pointer with 25 seconds remaining to lift the Mavericks level and Murray missed Denver’s last shot to set up Irving’s game-winner.
Irving finished with 24 points, nine assists and seven rebounds as Dallas improved to 39-29, seventh in the Western Conference.
Murray led Denver with 23 points while two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic added 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Nuggets, who fell to 47-21 and out of a share of the West lead with Oklahoma City.
Bam Adebayo’s 30-foot 3-pointer at the final buzzer gave Miami a 104-101 victory at Detroit. Adebayo finished with 20 points and a game-high 17 rebounds.
Miami’s Duncan Robinson, who scored a game-high 30 points, became the fastest player in NBA history to reach 1,000 3-pointers, hitting the milestone on Sunday in his 343rd game, seven fewer than the old mark set by Buddy Hield of the Bahamas.
js/sev