© Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
The Bucks praise Damian Lillard for carrying the team without Giannis Antetokounmpo
Damian Lillard knew that he had a bigger role to play when Giannis Antetokounmpo was forced to sit out due to a calf injury on Wednesday night. The seven-time All-Star did not disappoint as he powered the Milwaukee Bucks to a 128-112 win over the Toronto Raptors for just their second win on the road this season.
“The situation was right for it. With Giannis not playing, I knew I would have more responsibility, I knew I would have to be more aggressive and kind of assert myself from a playmaking and scoring standpoint,” Lillard said.
Dame did it all
Scoring and playmaking were exactly what Lillard provided in Milwaukee’s seventh win in the season. Lillard collected 37 points and dished out a season-high 13 assists, marking his first double-double as a Bucks.
The veteran shooter fell two points shy of tying his season-high 39 points which he made during the team’s 118-117 win over the Philadelphia Sixers on opening night. Lillard, who added four rebounds, went 9-for-18 from the field and converted 15 of his 16 attempts from the charity stripe.
“That’s the Dame we all know. It was great to see him in a good rhythm, comfortable out there and leading the team,” said Brook Lopez.
Balanced attack
With Lillard’s effective playmaking—accounting for more than half of the team’s 25 assists—the Bucks had five other players scoring in double figures.
Malik Beasley finished with a season-high 30 points, Bobby Portis Jr. tallied 18 points, Cameron Payne had 13, Khris Middleton scored 11, and Lopez added 10.
“He took control of the game early. He’s a master at picking his spots and navigating through screens,” Milwaukee coach Adrian Griffin said of Lillard.
The Bucks improved to 7-4, winning their second straight game after beating the Chicago Bulls, 118-109, on Monday night.
