Bucks Zone

Damian Lillard talks about his brilliant performance in Milwaukee’s win over Philly

“They're encouraging me to be the person to take control.”

Matthew Dugandzic

© Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
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When they acquired Damian Lillard in a three-team deal in the offseason, the Milwaukee Bucks made it clear that the seven-time All-Star has a license to shoot.

In his debut game on Thursday night, Lillard did exactly what his team wanted him to do and led the Bucks to a 118-117 win over the Philadelphia Sixers at the Fiserv Forum.

Trusting Dame

Giannis Antetokounmpo said Dame was given the green light to take over late in the game, and his All-Star teammate did not disappoint by delivering crucial baskets that sealed Milwaukee’s win.

“At the end of the day, he had the hot hand and you've got to keep on feeding it. You've got to keep going with what works,” said Antetokounmpo.

Lillard finished with 39 points, the most points scored by a debuting player. Dame capped his impressive debut by scoring Milwaukee’s final 11 points.

“A guy that can make plays down the stretch. A guy that's going to lead the team. A guy that's going to make shots, put us in the right position. A guy that's going to be aggressive throughout the whole game, create for himself. He was unbelievable today,” Giannis said.

Milwaukee’s take-charge guy

Dame said him taking over in the endgame was by design.

“I've had enough conversations with guys, especially with Giannis, that I came in knowing what was expected of me. They're encouraging me to be the person to take control, make decisions and decide what's going to happen in those moments,” Dame expressed his view.

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Milwaukee coach Adrian Griffin wasn’t surprised at all with Lillard’s brilliant game.

“Dame is Dame. We knew what we were getting when we got him. Dame played a really smart game as far as he knew when he had to take over,” Griffin said, as he emerged victorious in his coaching debut.

“It kind of feels like a road game”- Damian Lillard talks about his Bucks debut

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.