Bucks Zone

“I'll be very honest. I’ve never been this open” - Giannis Antetokounmpo talks about his first game with Damian Lillard

Giannis and Dame will give the Milwaukee Bucks too many options.

Matthew Dugandzic

© Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY Sports
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When the Milwaukee Bucks acquired Damian Lillard in a deal that shook the league, everyone expected that things would be easier on the court for Giannis Antetokounmpo.

That’s exactly what Giannis felt when he and Dame finally played as teammates for the first time on Sunday night in Los Angeles.

“I'll be very honest. I’ve never been this open. And first of all, I've never seen anybody being double-teamed from the first possession of the game,” Giannis said after he and Lillard led the Bucks to a 108-97 win over the LA Lakers.

Deadly duo

With the defense easing up on him, Giannis had no trouble hitting his shots as he went 7-of-10 from the field and finished with 16 points. For Lillard, it was a luxury to have someone like Giannis to pass the ball to when the double-team came.

"Having another guy out there that's just dominant. He can dominate a game and win you a game. ... First couple plays, they blitz me, they trap me, and the guy that I'm releasing the ball to is Giannis. So I'm just like, 'Uh, we can do this all night.' You know what I mean?” Lillard said.

Too many options for the Bucks

Even with Giannis reduced to a small role, the Bucks didn’t have a problem scoring and even took control of the contest in the third period.

When he left the floor for good at the 4:41 mark of the third, Lillard had done enough damage as he tallied 14 points, two rebounds, two assists, and four steals in 22 minutes of play.

The Bucks were ahead, 74-66, when Dame was subbed out. In their first game as Milwaukee teammates, Dame and Giannis simply gave a glimpse at how deadly their tandem can be.

“We're going to have a lot of options. There’s going to be times where he's willing to make the play to me, and vice versa, as we saw today,” said Lillard.

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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.