NBA: Milwaukee Bucks bury Heat
Sam Merrill drilled the record-breaking 28th three-pointer of the game, surpassing the 27 set by the Houston Rockets against the Phoenix Suns in 2019
Los Angeles: The Milwaukee Bucks set an NBA record for three-pointers in a game, draining 29 from beyond the arc in a 144-97 blowout win over the Miami Heat on Tuesday. The Heat, who stunned the top-seeded Bucks in the second round of the 2020 Eastern Conference playoffs en route to the NBA Finals, never got a look in, trailing by as many as 51 in a game Milwaukee led all the way.
Sam Merrill drilled the record-breaking 28th three-pointer of the game, surpassing the 27 set by the Houston Rockets against the Phoenix Suns on April 7, 2019. Jrue Holiday had six three-pointers on the way to 24 points. Khris Middleton, who led the Bucks with 25 points, made four of five from three-point range.
It was a bounce-back win for the Bucks, who were blown out 130-110 by the Knicks in New York on Sunday. The Los Angeles Clippers also rebounded from a big defeat.
Two days after a 124-73 loss to the Dallas Mavericks the Clippers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-101. Lou Williams scored 20 points off the bench to lead seven Clippers players who scored in double figures. The Philadelphia 76ers, coming off a lopsided loss to Cleveland, beat the Toronto Raptors 100-93.
Center Joel Embiid, who sat out Sunday’s 24-point loss to the Cavaliers with a tight back, led the Sixers with 29 points and 16 rebounds.
Elsewhere, Julius Randle posted a triple-double of 28 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists to lead the New York Knicks to a 95-86 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
But Russell Westbrook’s triple-double of 21 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists — his third in as many appearances in the young season — again went for nothing as his Washington Wizards fell 115-107 to the Chicago Bulls.
Denver center Nikola Jokic also had a triple-double in a losing effort, his 26 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists not enough in the Nuggets’ 125-115 loss to the Sacramento Kings — who were led by the 24 points of De’Aaron Fox.
