WASHINGTON – Damian Lillard delivered with teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo out due to a hamstring injury, scoring 31 points and dishing out 16 assists in the Milwaukee Bucks’ 140-129 National Basketball Association (NBA) triumph against the Phoenix Suns on March 17.
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.
Lillard, the first player in club history with 30 points and 15 assists in the same game, praised Portis and others for stepping up while Greek superstar Antetokounmpo was sidelined.
“It was huge,” Lillard said. “One of our greatest strengths is our depth. Bobby Portis is a starter on any other team, but for our team, he knows what his job is.
“Against a guy like Giannis, you know everyone’s going to have to step up their game. We’ve been in this situation a few times this year and every time he’s come out and delivered.
“I knew I wouldn’t need to do too much. Feed him. Feed everyone, pick my spots and be aggressive.
Lillard had 14 points and 12 assists in the first half as Milwaukee took an 82-60 lead into halftime, with the Bucks tying an NBA record held by the Suns and Utah Jazz in scoring 18 three-pointers in the first half.
Portis had 25 points in the first half on 10-of-13 shooting, going five-of-five from beyond the arc, while the Bucks made 24-of-41 three-pointers overall.
“It’s fun after all the work you’ve done,” Portis said. “You just have to have good teammates and coaches who believe in you. We’re going through this marathon 82-game season together and trying to build great camaraderie and chemistry.
Lillard made 10 of 19 shots from the floor, four of eight from three-point range and all seven free throw attempts. His efforts included a logo buzzer at midcourt to give the Bucks a 109-94 lead after three quarters.
“Keeping their defense honest,” Lillard said. “They probably thought with Giannis out I was just going to try to force him. I just took advantage of what their defense was doing. They helped too much. I played simple games. The guys made shots.
“It forces their defense to 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 scored 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 play-off spot.
Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving hit a left-handed 20-foot floater at the final buzzer to give the Dallas Mavericks a 107-105 home victory over Denver, ending the Nuggets’ five-game winning streak.
Denver’s Jamal Murray scored 12 points in the fourth quarter and sparked a 20-4 run for the Nuggets that gave Denver a 105-102 lead on a three from Murray.
NBA scoring leader Luka Doncic, the Slovenian guard who scored 23 of his 37 points in the first half, responded with a three with 25 seconds left to put the Mavericks up and Murray missed the Denver’s final shot to set up Irving’s game-winning goal. .
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 unshared West lead with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
