MILWAUKEE — Is there any player better than Damian Lillard with his back against the wall? Based on his Milwaukee Bucks debut, a 118-117 victory over the reigning MVP Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers, that’s hard to argue.
Lillard scored 39 points: The most ever by a player in their Milwaukee Bucks debut. The star point guard made nine of his 20 shot attempts and all 17 of his free-throw attempts while contributing eight boards and four assists. He also scored the team’s final 11 points to close out the victory.
Lillard’s presence on the court transformed the way Milwaukee’s offense flowed. With more space to operate, Giannis got downhill with a head of steam and less pressure than he was used to from years past. The attention Lillard drew on the perimeter created lanes to the basket and clean 3-point shots for his teammates, who knocked down 38.9% of their triples in turn.
Milwaukee’s Adrian Griffin, who secured a win in his first game as Head Coach of an NBA team, joked that Lillard’s offensive outburst made him look great. Dame’s new running mate, Giannis Antetokounmpo, told reporters after the game that Lillard takes the team to ‘another level.’
For Lillard himself, much of that praise went right back to his new team.
“It was different. I was able to come off screens and attack and have space because [Malik Beasley] is out there and Pat [Connaughton] is out there, and teams respect them as shooters,” Lillard explained. “Even when they changed the coverages and got a little more aggressive on me, I felt really comfortable and confident throwing the ball back to Bobby [Portis], throwing it to Brook [Lopez], throwing it to Jae [Crowder].
“It was definitely different, but it was fun, honestly. I had no worries getting off the ball and getting it up, and a lot of times, something good happened.”
Milwaukee Bucks star Antetokounmpo uses Embiid matchup as Playoff prep:
Giannis had what would pass for a modest night by his standards with 23 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. Foul trouble was a factor throughout the second half, but Griffin trusted his star player to make safe decisions and close the game out despite tightrope walking over his five fouls.
He played most of the fourth quarter despite the concern and came out victorious as the catalyst of several key stops down the stretch. For Antetokounmpo, who said this was the closest thing you get to a Playoff atmosphere in the regular season, this was an opportunity to prepare for his ultimate goal.
“It’s something that I want to work on from Game One to Game 82 so I’m able to do it in the Playoffs,” Giannis explained of his defense. “It’s something I think that my team needs me to do, to take that individual pride and guard the guy I’ve got to stop and try to make it as difficult as possible.”
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The 11th-year star told reporters he had a conversation with Coach Griffin about this exact topic, requesting that Coach Griffin put him on tough defensive assignments whenever he feels the team needs it.
Antetokounmpo made his way into the record books as well, surpassing the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the No. 1 spot in all-time field goals made in Milwaukee Bucks history. With two stars as selfless as Antetokounmpo and Lillard, there is no limit to what they can achieve.
FINAL NOTES: Coach Griffin confirmed that Khris Middleton was on a minutes limit against Philadelphia, as he has been throughout the preseason. Middleton was extremely effective during his 16 minutes, producing six points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals while roaming the court at the cadence fans are used to.
Regardless of Middleton’s productivity, Coach Griffin told reporters after the game that it’s a long season, and he wants to be smart about how they work Middleton back into the lineup. That means steadily increasing his minutes and monitoring how his body responds, so expect Middleton to be limited in the early season.
Crowder logged heavy minutes off the bench in Middleton’s place, finishing with nine points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals. Connaughton also recorded 20 minutes off the bench and scored seven points. Portis had 10 points, six boards and two assists in only 19 minutes as well.
Sophomore wing MarJon Beauchamp left his mark on the defensive side, taking on a tough matchup against Philly guard Tyrese Maxey (31 points and eight assists). The same could be said of Beasley, who didn’t produce a ton on the box score in 31 minutes, but flustered opponents defensively.
Milwaukee will have a few days of rest before hosting the 0-1 Atlanta Hawks on Sunday when the key matchup will be between a father and son. Coach Griffin will gameplan for his son, second-year Hawks wing A.J. Griffin.
Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m., and pre-game coverage will begin at 5:30 p.m. CST on 620 WTMJ.
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