Damian Lillard, who scored the last 11 points for the Bucks, finished his debut with 39 points and 8 rebounds.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Damian Lillard makes a scoring statement in his first game with the Milwaukee Bucks, leading them to victory over the Philadelphia 76ers with an impressive 39-point performance. The Bucks, despite losing a 19-point lead, managed to secure a narrow 118-117 win on Thursday night.
The newest addition to the Bucks, Lillard, has already set a record by scoring the highest number of points by a player in his debut game for the team. This achievement surpasses Terry Cummings’ record of 34 points in his first game for the Bucks in 1984.
In addition to Lillard’s outstanding performance, Giannis Antetokounmpo contributed 23 points and 13 rebounds, solidifying his position as the franchise’s all-time leader in field goals. Antetokounmpo now holds this record with 5,905 career field goals, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s previous record of 5,902 baskets with the Bucks from 1969-75.
With a 3-pointer from Lillard, the Bucks secured a crucial lead of 105-104 with 3:41 remaining in the game. Antetokounmpo’s offensive rebound allowed him to find Lillard open behind the arc.
Long 3-pointers, driving layups and clutch jumpers highlight Damian Lillard’s 39-point performance.
Lillard’s crucial shot triggered a momentum-shifting 11-0 run for the Bucks, giving them a nine-point lead with 2:45 remaining in the game.
The 76ers managed to reduce the margin to two points with a seven-point scoring streak. However, Lillard responded with another 3-pointer, sinking it with 1:13 left on the clock.
Despite Tobias Harris’ 3-pointer bringing the game within a two-point margin, Lillard’s determination led him to draw a foul and make two game-clinching free throws with 11.5 seconds remaining. Remarkably, Lillard made all 17 of his free-throw attempts.
The 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey scored 31 points, Kelly Oubre Jr. had 27, and Joel Embiid contributed 24 points to the team’s efforts.
This game marked a significant milestone for Lillard, as it was his first appearance with a team other than the Portland Trail Blazers after spending 11 seasons with them.
In the offseason, Lillard requested a trade and was ultimately acquired by the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for two-time All-Star Jrue Holiday, Grayson Allen, and several draft picks. This move brought the seven-time All-NBA guard to the Bucks, where he made an immediate impact.
The game also marked the debut of Milwaukee’s new head coach, Adrian Griffin, who previously served as an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors under Nick Nurse, now the coach of the Philadelphia 76ers.
