Bobby Portis matched his season-high with 31 points on 13-of-20 shooting off the bench, and his electric second-quarter performance helped fuel a stretch that gave the Milwaukee Bucks a lead en route to a 140-129 victory over the visiting Phoenix Suns on Sunday.
Damian Lillard also scored 31 points as the Bucks won without two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was a late scratch due to hamstring soreness.
Bradley Beal led the Suns with 28 points on 11-of-15 shooting from the floor. Former Bucks guard Grayson Allen scored 25 points and shot 6 of 11 from 3-point range with eight assists.
Devin Booker added 23 points but went 0-of-5 from 3-point range, while Kevin Durant scored a season-low 11 points for Phoenix.
Portis scored 25 first-half points, while knocking down three 3-pointers over a three-minute stretch midway through the second period when Milwaukee extended a 46-42 lead to 61-49 with 6:03 remaining before halftime.
Portis’ contributions were part of a 43-point second-quarter deluge for the Bucks, taking them into halftime with an 82-60 advantage.
Portis shot 5-of-5 from 3-point range overall, matching his season-high for made shots from distance, and Milwaukee went a blistering 24-of-41 (58.5 percent) from beyond the arc. Malik Beasley, who scored 17 points, shot 5 of 8 from deep.
Lillard went 4-of-8 from long distance and dished out a season-high 16 assists. The Bucks had 35 assists on 51 total made field goals.
Khris Middleton doled out seven assists to go with his 22 points in his return after missing a month with an ankle injury. Middleton was one of six Bucks to score in double figures, including all five starters, with Jae Crowder adding 18 points and Brook Lopez finishing with 10.
Phoenix mounted a second-half comeback, cutting the deficit to single digits in both the third and fourth quarters, but Milwaukee successfully answered each surge.
–Field Level Media
