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Dame, Giannis impress NBA fans as Bucks win against 76ers with Paul George and Embiid out | News, results, highlights, statistics and rumors

Dame, Giannis impress NBA fans as Bucks win against 76ers with Paul George and Embiid out | News, results, highlights, statistics and rumors

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

Milwaukee started its 2024-25 season with a 124-109 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in Wednesday’s Eastern Conference showdown at Wells Fargo Center. The result was largely due to the visitors having their two biggest stars while the 76ers did not.

Damian Lillard finished the game with 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists while shooting 6 of 12 from long range, while Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded 25 points, 14 boards and seven assists on 8 of 11 shooting from long range. Both performances were important with Khris Middleton out for the Bucks.

However, Philadelphia was missing even more with Joel Embiid and Paul George out.

Tyrese Maxey scored 25 points but shot just 10 of 31 from the field as the 76ers lacked the firepower to keep up with a combination of Antetokounmpo and Lillard that drew numerous reactions on social media:

Milwaukee Bucks @dollar

DAMIAN LILLARD!

Sydney Fink @sydn3yfink

Damian Lillard looks like Portland Dame this season and the league should be scared

🦌 @SnellSZN

LADY IS INCREDIBLE

Kenny Jacobs 🌻 @kennyjacobs

There are few things better than watching Dame Lillard hit a ridiculous three-pointer. pic.twitter.com/NAmUt9IRiQ

GiannisMuse 💫🦌 @GiannisMuse

Damian Lillard is my PG

Alexander the Great @Crycrysnowflake

God, our offense looks different… Others cut it, can put the ball on the floor, and Giannis and Dame are Giannis and Dame

GOPACKGO SZN (5-2) #DAMETIME (TODAY!!!) @Jeremywick

Giannis is very, very, very good. This league is not ready for revenge, Arc Giannis.

Mike O’Connor @MOConnor_NBA

It’s hard to win when you give up so much size
The Bucks’ perimeter defense stopped every Sixers drive and the Sixers couldn’t cover Giannis/Lopez/Portis individually
It will be an uphill battle until Embiid and PG come back, and perhaps even (to a lesser extent) afterward

Brady 🦌 @BucksBrady

Crazy how good the Bucks defense is when Giannis is on the floor
Now that Dame is getting back into shape, it’s much easier for Giannis and Brook to focus their energy on defense

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

Lillard and Antetokounmpo still provided star power, with the former attacking the basket off the dribble and creating space outside the arc while the latter set the tone with quick inside baskets. But none of them were as aggressive as Maxey, who made 19 field goal attempts in the first half alone.

Unfortunately for the home team, this aggressive approach wasn’t the most efficient. The Bucks took a 58-47 halftime lead as Maxey struggled with his shooting both inside and outside the three-point line.

In the third quarter, Lillard took matters into his own hands and caught fire from distance.

He scored 15 points in the quarter, taking full advantage of the gap created by Antetokounmpo’s appeal. He wasn’t the only one, as offseason signing Taurean Prince found his shot from deep and the Bucks continued to pull away.

The game was never really in doubt in the fourth quarter after Lillard’s attack, and Brook Lopez’s interior defense en route to six blocks ensured the 76ers couldn’t make up for the deficit too much.

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