Bucks tie NBA record with three-point barrage

Bobby Portis was the surprise three-point star, nailing five triples in the first half as Milwaukee tied an NBA record with 18 three-pointers. ESPN chose well when they decided to put a microphone on Portis, as they captured all his dialogue — including what sounded like bird calls — during his 25-point half.

Portis also gave a shout-out to ESPN broadcaster Hubie Brown after one big shot.

Eight different Bucks hit shots from the outside, including three from Malik Beasley. Three-Point Contest champion Damian Lillard had only two triples in the first half, but he made up for it with two more in the second half, including a logo three to beat the buzzer in the third quarter.

Lillard also became the first player in Bucks history to put up more than 30 points and 15 assists in the same game, finishing with 31 and 16.

It’s true that Antetokounmpo’s absence hurts the Bucks’ defense. They’re only the No. 15 defense in the NBA even with the former Defensive Player of the Year on the floor.

But when Milwaukee is shooting like this, it doesn’t matter. Phoenix shot 58.6 percent from the floor Sunday and still lost by double digits, 140-129.

The lesson is, it’s hard to win when you give up 18 three-pointers in one half.