Lillard, Portis lead Bucks past Suns without Giannis
MILWAUKEE — Damian Lillard had 31 points and 16 assists and Bobby Portis had 31 points and 10 rebounds to lead Milwaukee past the Phoenix Suns 140-129 on Sunday, as the Bucks hit 24 3-pointers to win without star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Antetokounmpo, averaging 30.8 points and 11.2 rebounds, was out with left hamstring soreness. He missed just his fourth game of the season and first since March 4, when he was out with Achilles tendinitis.
“It’s not an injury, we were just concerned a little bit,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “Plus, when you look at the schedule, you have one, two, three, four, five days off. We planted it in him and he had to do it. We’re happy that he decided to do it.”
Phoenix trailed 109-94 after three quarters, but closed within 122-115 on a lay-in by Bradley Beal with 6:17 left. Lillard’s 3-pointer from the top left put Milwaukee up 134-120 with 3:18 remaining.
“I just wanted to come out and be in attack mode,” said Lillard, who became the first Bucks player in history to have a 30-point, 15-assist game. “I didn’t really think to myself I’m going to have to score a bunch of points. I just knew I had to be a problem for the defense.”
Khris Middleton added 22 points for Milwaukee in his first game back after missing 16 games with a sprained left ankle. The Bucks finished 24 of 41 from 3-point range, with Portis and Malik Beasley hitting five apiece.
EASTERN CONFERENCE W L Pct 53 14 .791 44 24 .647 42 25 .627 40 27 .597 40 28 .588 38 30 .559 37 30 .552 37 30 .552 33 35 .485 30 37 .448 26 42 .382 23 45 .338 17 51 .250 12 55 .179 11 57 .162 x-Boston Milwaukee Cleveland New York Orlando Indiana Miami Philadelphia Chicago Atlanta Brooklyn Toronto Charlotte Detroit Washington
All times HST Saturday’s Results
Houston 117, Cleveland 103
New Orleans 126, Portland 107 Indiana 121, Brooklyn 100 Philadelphia 109, Charlotte 98 Chicago 127, Washington 98 Oklahoma City 118, Memphis 112 Golden State 128, L.A. Lakers 121 Minnesota 119, Utah 100
New York 98, Sacramento 91
Sunday’s Results
Milwaukee 140, Phoenix 129 Miami 104, Detroit 101
Dallas 107, Denver 105
Orlando 111, Toronto 96
Boston 130, Washington 104
GB — 9½ 11 13 13½ 15½ 16 16 20½
23 27½ 30½ 36½
41 42½
Beal had 28 points, Grayson Allen had 25 points and Devin Booker scored 23 for Phoenix.
Milwaukee’s 18 firsthalf 3-pointers matched the NBA record for 3-pointers in the opening half held by the Suns and Utah Jazz.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
W L Pct GB
47 20 .701 — 47 21 .691 ½ 46 21 .687 1 42 25 .627 5 41 26 .612 6 38 28 .576 8½ 39 29 .574 8½ 39 29 .574 8½ 35 31 .530 11½ 36 32 .529 11½ 32 35 .478 15 29 38 .433 18 23 45 .338 24½ 19 48 .284 28 15 53 .221 32½
x-clinched playoff spot
San Antonio 122, Brooklyn 115, OT Atlanta 110, L.A. Clippers 93
Today’s Games
Cleveland at Indiana, 1 p.m.
Detroit at Boston, 1:30 p.m.
Miami at Philadelphia, 1:30 p.m. Portland at Chicago, 2 p.m.
Minnesota at Utah, 3 p.m.
Memphis at Sacramento, 4 p.m.
New York at Golden State, 4 p.m. Atlanta at L.A. Lakers, 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday’s Games
Charlotte at Orlando, 1 p.m.
Houston at Washington, 1 p.m.
New Orleans at Brooklyn, 1:30 p.m. Dallas at San Antonio, 2 p.m.
Denver at Minnesota, 3 p.m.
Oklahoma City Denver Minnesota L.A. Clippers New Orleans Sacramento Dallas
Phoenix Golden State L.A. Lakers Houston
Utah
Memphis Portland
San Antonio
“They changed their team, obviously, with Giannis not being in there, and Dame is an elite attacker that requires you to really extend your defense on him,” Suns coach Frank Vogel said. “The risk in that is exposing the 3-point line.”