Damian Lillard and Bobby Portis combine for 62 and the Bucks outpace the Suns 140-129

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MILWAUKEE (AP) — 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.

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.


Milwaukee Bucks' Bobby Portis reacts after his three pointer during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, March 17, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Milwaukee Bucks’ Bobby Portis reacts after his three pointer during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, March 17, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

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.

Beal had 28 points, Grayson Allen had 25 points and Devin Booker scored 23 for Phoenix.

MAVERICKS 107, NUGGETS 105

DALLAS (AP) — Kyrie Irving hit a running left-handed shot at the buzzer, capping a wild final 26 seconds and giving Dallas a victory over Denver.

The Nuggets rallied from 13 points down midway through the fourth quarter and went ahead on Jamal Murray’s tiebreaking 3-pointer with 26 seconds remaining.

Luka Doncic answered almost immediately on the inbounds pass after a timeout, hitting from several feet behind the arc for a 105-105 tie.

After Murray missed an elbow jumper in the final seconds, Dallas called timeout. The right-handed Irving took the inbounds pass, dribbled with his left hand as Nikola Jokic pursued and hit the shot from about 20 feet.

Denver had a five-game road winning streak stopped. The Nuggets had won all five by double digits, a first in franchise history.

MAGIC 111, RAPTORS 96

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Paolo Banchero scored 29 points and Orlando Magic pulled away from Toronto handing the Raptors their seventh straight loss.

Franz Wagner had 22 points, nine rebounds and five assists for Orlando, and his brother, Moritz, scored 14 points. The Magic improved to 8-2 in their last 10 games.

Jordan Nwora led the injury-ravaged Raptors with 18 points, including 12 during an impressive third-quarter burst. Gary Trent Jr. scored 15 points, and Immanuel Quickley and Bruce Brown each had 12.

The Raptors, who lead the NBA in fast-break points after scoring 37 in a loss to the Magic on Friday night, were held to just 16. They went 8 for 31 from 3-point range and committed 18 turnovers.

CELTICS 130, WIZARDS 104

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sam Hauser had career highs of 30 points and 10 3-pointers to help the short-handed Boston beat Washington.

Jayson Tatum also scored 30 points with six 3-pointers as the NBA-leading Celtics hit 24 shots from beyond the arc in a game in which they never trailed despite missing three starters.

In the first of back-to-back games — with a game against Detroit on Monday — Derrick White (left hand sprain) and Jaylen Brown (right ankle sprain) joined Kristaps Porzingis (right hamstring strain) among the ranks of injured Boston players.

Tatum also has been questionable with an ankle issue entering Wednesday. Instead, he played his 31st consecutive game and Hauser made his 16th career start to power Boston to 81 points before halftime and a lead that reached 36 points in the third quarter.

Hauser shot 10 for 13 from long distance and Boston went 17 for 28 from 3-point range in the first half. The Celtics shot 48% from beyond the arc despite removing their starters midway through the third quarter.

HEAT 104, PISTONS 101

DETROIT (AP) — Bam Adebayo made a 3-pointer at the buzzer to lift Miami to a win over Detroit.

Cade Cunningham missed a 3-pointer for Detroit with 9 seconds left and Terry Rozier sprinted up the court with the rebound. He couldn’t get to the basket, so he tossed the ball to Adebayo, who made his third 3-pointer in the last three games.

Duncan Robinson scored a season-high 30 points for Miami on 10-for-15 shooting. Adebayo had 20 points and 17 rebounds as the Heat beat the Pistons for the second time in three days.

Robinson hit his 1,000th career 3-pointer in the first quarter. He reached the mark in 343 games, breaking the NBA record of 350 by Buddy Hield.

SPURS 122, NETS 115, OT

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Victor Wembanyama had 33 points and 16 rebounds as San Antonio Spurs overcame 31 points by Cam Thomas and beat Brooklyn in overtime.

Wembanyama added seven assists and seven blocks while collecting his 36th double-double in 60 games. The 7-foot-4 rookie center has five games of at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks and five assists.

Wembanyama had an alley-oop dunk and followed that by blocking Dennis Schroder’s layup attempt, preserving San Antonio’s 116-115 lead with 38 seconds remaining.

Schroder finished with 19 points and Mikal Bridges added 14 points, including three in a low-scoring overtime.

Keldon Johnson’s 3-pointer with 64 seconds remaining in regulation put the Spurs up 110-107. Johnson’s 3 closed a 17-4 run, including four straight points from Wembanyama to tie the game.