Giannis-less Bucks stun Suns behind Lillard’s stellar showing
Damian Lillard delivered with teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo out due to a hamstring injury, scoring 31 points and distributing 16 assists in Milwaukee’s 140129 NBA triumph over Phoenix.
Reserve Bobby Portis added 31 points and 10 rebounds for the host Bucks, who improved to 44-24 and tightened their grip on second in the Eastern Conference.
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 by making 18 first-half 3-pointers.
Lillard made 10-of-19 shots from the floor, 7-of-7 free throws and 4-of-8 from 3-point range, including a buzzer-beater from the midcourt logo to give the Bucks a 109-94 lead after three quarters.
Portis had 25 first-half points on 10-of-13 shooting, going 5-of-5 from beyond the arc as the Bucks went 24-of41 from 3-point range overall.
Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton, who missed 16 games with a sprained left ankle, added 22 points in his return.
Bradley Beal led the Suns with 28 points while Grayson Allen added 25 and Devin Booker netted 23.
In other game, Kyrie Irving sank a left-handed 20-foot floater shot at the final buzzer to give Dallas a 107-105 home victory over Denver, snapping the Nuggets’ five-game win streak.
Denver’s Jamal Murray scored 12 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter, hitting a 3-pointer to cap a 20-4 Nuggets run for a 105-102 lead.
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 and a Murray miss set up Irving’s winner.
Irving finished with 24 points, nine assists and seven rebounds as Dallas improved to 39-29, seventh in the Western Conference.