Dame, Giannis Impress NBA Fans as Bucks Win vs. 76ers with Paul George, Embiid Out

Scott Polacek@@ScottPolacekFeatured Columnist IVOctober 24, 2024

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

So far, so good for a Milwaukee Bucks team that will be under the spotlight all season after two straight first-round exits.

Milwaukee started its 2024-25 campaign with a 124-109 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in Wednesday’s Eastern Conference showdown at Wells Fargo Center. The result largely boiled down to the visitors having their two biggest stars while the 76ers didn’t.

Damian Lillard finished with 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists while shooting 6-of-12 from deep, while Giannis Antetokounmpo posted 25 points, 14 boards and seven assists on 8-of-11 shooting from the field. Both performances were important, as Khris Middleton was out for the Bucks.

NBA @NBA”AS THAT MAN CONTINUES TO NAIL THREE-POINTERS!”

6 triples & 29 points for Dame on ESPN 🔥 pic.twitter.com/vGMaKRmcN9

Philadelphia was missing more, though, with Joel Embiid and Paul George sidelined.

Tyrese Maxey tallied 25 points but shot just 10-of-31 from the field as the 76ers didn’t have the firepower to keep up with an Antetokounmpo and Lillard combination that drew plenty of reaction from social media:

Milwaukee Bucks @BucksDAMIAN LILLARD!

sydney fink @sydn3yfinkdamian lillard looks like portland dame this season and the league should be terrified

🦌 @SnellSZNDAME IS UNBELIEVABLE

kenny jacobs 🌻 @kennyjacobsFew things make as happy as watching Dame Lillard hit a ridiculous three. pic.twitter.com/NAmUt9IRiQ

Russ’ TD ⚡ @RussFcbDamian Lillard is back pic.twitter.com/WLfQ51K0lZ

Tony Atkins @TonyAtkinsTVDamian Lillard. Sir. pic.twitter.com/0uf1coJO8z

GiannisMuse 💫🦌 @GiannisMuseDamian Lillard is my PG

Edgyx @BucksRatedRGiannis letting dame be dame pic.twitter.com/Cmz150UFeG

Alexander The Great @crycrysnowflakeGod our offense is looking different… Others are cutting, can put the ball on the floor, along with Giannis and Dame being Giannis and Dame

GOPACKGO SZN (5-2) #DAMETIME (TODAY!!!) @jeremywickgiannis is very very very good. this league isn’t ready for revenge arc giannis.

🦌⌚️ @GiannisEffectGiannis jumper back? pic.twitter.com/NgXr8QKizz

Mike O’Connor @MOConnor_NBAIt’s hard to win when you’re giving up this much size

Bucks’ rim defense shut down every Sixers drive and the Sixers couldn’t single cover any of Giannis/Lopez/Portis

Going to be an uphill battle until Embiid and PG get back and maybe even (to a lesser degree) after that

Brady 🦌 @BucksBradyCrazy how good the Bucks defense is when Giannis is on the floor

Now that Dame is coming back into form, it makes it that much easier for Giannis and Brook to focus their energy on the defensive end

This was a high-profile potential playoff preview between two of the presumed challengers for the Boston Celtics’ crown, but it also wasn’t representative of what this matchup could be down the line with Embiid, George and Middleton all sidelined.

Lillard and Antetokounmpo still brought the star power with the former attacking the basket off the dribble and finding space beyond the arc, while the latter set the tone with quick inside baskets. Yet neither of them were as aggressive as Maxey, who launched 19 field-goal attempts in the first half alone.

Unfortunately for the home team, that aggressive approach wasn’t the most efficient one. The Bucks jumped out to a 58-47 halftime lead as Maxey struggled with his shot both inside and outside the three-point line.

Milwaukee Bucks @BucksWe know an opponent hates to see Giannis coming. pic.twitter.com/mXEsuAbbBx

Lillard then took things into his own hands in the third quarter and caught fire from deep.

He poured in 15 points in the quarter and took full advantage of the spacing created by Antetokounmpo’s gravity. He wasn’t the only one, as offseason addition Taurean Prince found his stroke from deep as well as the Bucks continued to pull away.

The game was never truly in doubt during the fourth quarter after Lillard’s onslaught, and Brook Lopez made sure the 76ers didn’t cut too much off the deficit with his interior defense on the way to six blocks.

Milwaukee will now look to build some early momentum when it hosts the Chicago Bulls in its home opener on Friday.