Everyone knows that the Milwaukee Bucks would find it tough to win games without Giannis Antetokounmpo. It was clear to fans and analysts that the team just doesn’t play as effectively if the Greek Freak is absent.
It showed how much Giannis was missed as the Bucks snapped their losing streak after winning over the Brooklyn Nets. However, their franchise centerpiece did not lead the team’s charge during the game.
Milwaukee Bucks shower praise on Damian Lillard as they dominate in Giannis’ first game back
The Bucks didn’t look like they were ceding the lead during their 115-108 win against the Brooklyn Nets, but it did come dangerously close during the final quarter.
However, Damian Lillard’s 30-point game was more than enough to get them over the hump. Moreover, his defensive efforts when the game was tied at 96-96 helped ice the game for the Bucks.
Head coach Doc Rivers had nothing but praise for Lillard’s heroics, per Eurosport’s James Walker-Roberts:
“Dame, defensively, was phenomenal – all game,” said Milwaukee head coach Doc Rivers.
“He’s a very competitive guy and you could see that tonight. “I like how we kind of gathered ourselves. They took the lead, we came back and got stops. We didn’t play well the beginning of the third.
“The first half, the ball was hopping. It was beautiful. And then we kind of went back to that hold-the-ball, no-movement style. We had to play ourselves through that.”Meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo played well in his first game back with 21 points, nine boards, and five assists in 35 minutes. Brook Lopez, Malik Beasley, and AJ Green added to the win with 17 points, 16 points, and 15 points respectively.
Can the Milwaukee Bucks finish the season strong?
With only a couple of games remaining in Milwaukee’s 2023-24 campaign, every game becomes a must-win for a team chasing the top spot in the Eastern Conference. Having homecourt advantage over the Boston Celtics would be massive for the Bucks. However, they would have a tough road to the first seed. They will face the Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers, and New York Knicks during the final twelve games of the season. Lillard, Antetokounmpo, and the rest of the Bucks will have to buckle up for an emphatic end to the 2023-24 season.
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