NBA Roundup: Damian Lillard’s 43 Points Lead Bucks Past 76ers
Bucks 135, 76ers 127
Damian Lillard delivered his best performance of the season, scoring 43 points to propel the Milwaukee Bucks to a 135-127 victory over the visiting Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.
Lillard also contributed seven rebounds and eight assists, stepping up in the absence of All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was sidelined with a strained left calf. Gary Trent Jr. came off the bench to score 23 points, making seven of his 15 three-point attempts.
Milwaukee was red-hot from deep, hitting a season-high 24 three-pointers on 55 attempts (43.6 percent), with Lillard sinking eight of them.
Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 39 points, while Joel Embiid posted 27 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists. Guerschon Yabusele chipped in 18 points, and Paul George added 12 points, six assists, and three steals.
Pistons 112, Hornets 102
Cade Cunningham recorded a triple-double with 19 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds as the Detroit Pistons never trailed in a home victory over the Charlotte Hornets.
Tobias Harris led the Pistons with 20 points, while Malik Beasley contributed 17. Jalen Duren added a strong all-around performance with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists.
Miles Bridges paced Charlotte with 30 points and nine rebounds, while Seth Curry scored 26. Isaiah Wong added 17 points in the loss. The Hornets were without LaMelo Ball, who missed the game due to an ankle injury.
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Rockets 94, Raptors 87
Dillon Brooks led the Houston Rockets with 19 points, while Jalen Green added 18 as Houston snapped a six-game losing streak with a hard-fought win over the Toronto Raptors.
Despite missing four key players—Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and Steven Adams—the Rockets overcame early adversity after losing All-Star center Alperen Sengun to back spasms in the first quarter. Houston’s bench played a crucial role, outscoring Toronto’s reserves 43-31, with Jeff Green posting a season-high 14 points, Jock Landale recording 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Cam Whitmore also scoring 11.
For Toronto, Immanuel Quickley led the way with 20 points and eight rebounds, while Scottie Barnes contributed 15 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. Rookie Jamal Shead added 14 points off the bench.
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