MILWAUKEE — With two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo still nursing a calf injury, the Milwaukee Bucks needed the supporting cast to carry the torch.
Bobby Portis answered the call.
The energizer forward was all over the Fiserv Forum on Wenesday finishing with 30 points to lead the Bucks past the visiting Orlando Magic, 117-99. Portis also added nine rebounds and a career-high five steals to his haul.
Held to 12 points in his last outing, Damian Lillard answered the bell, too, this time hammering Orlando with 29 points and nine assists on 3-of-8 shooting from 3. Jae Crowder pinched in 14 and Pat Beverley added 13 points with eight rebounds and six assists.
The Bucks also missed the services of All-Star Khris Middleton who has missed a total of 16 games this season. But the Bucks are confident they can hold it together until their two stars come back in time for the playoffs.
“We’re a deep team,” Lillard said, “we’ve got vets, and I think tonight, we understood what the mission was. We knew that we were going to be a couple of guys down — Giannis and Khris. We knew how we had to play. We knew what kind of energy we needed to have. I thought we came out and played that way from the start.”
With the Celtics already clinching the No.1 seed in the East Conference, the Bucks are still in the race for the 2-seed alongside the New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
With a 46-34 won-lost record, the Magic, on the other hand, are still trying to end up as the 6th seed in the East and avoid the play-in scenario. Orlando hasn’t made the playoffs since 2020.
Paolo Banchero had 20 points and six dimes to pace Orlando while Jalen Suggs added 18. But the Magic couldn’t get it going on offense against the hot Bucks, shooting just 11-of-30 from deep.
