‘STILL LEARNING’ – Damian Lillard struggles, Bucks handed first loss by Hawks

MILWAUKEE — Trae Young scored 20 points to lead eight players in double figures, and the Atlanta Hawks limited Damian Lillard to six points while routing the listless Milwaukee Bucks 127-110 on Sunday night for their first victory of the season.

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Bogdan Bogdanovic added 17 points, Dejounte Murray had 15 and Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu finished with 14 apiece for the Hawks at Fiserv Forum.

“It shows how they are playing together. It shows the unselfishness,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “Guys are just trying to make the right play. We’ve got a lot of guys who are capable of putting the ball in the basket.”

Trae Young Hot, Damian Lillard Not; Hawks Blast Bucks in Milwaukee |  Yardbarker

Lillard, who scored 39 points in his Bucks debut on Thursday, failed to score in the first half, missing all seven of his shots, including four from 3-point range. He also committed six of the team’s nine turnovers.

Lillard, who came to Milwaukee in a September trade for Jrue Holiday, Grayson Allen and draft choices, produced his first points on a pull-up 3-pointer with 3:33 left in the third quarter. He shot 2-for-12 overall, 2 of 8 from behind the arc.

“Sometimes great players have rough nights,” Snyder said, noting that Atlanta’s defensive strategy involved having two players focused on Lillard.

“You can’t guard Damian Lillard with one guy,” he said.

Hoop Central on X: "Damian Lillard tonight: 6 Points 2/12 FGM 2/8 3PM 6  Turnovers -29 +/- https://t.co/3tVvQdxPYE" / X

Bucks coach Adrian Griffin said the team needs to be better at making adjustments when Lillard is double-teamed.

“We’ve got to make teams pay for doing that,” he said.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks (1-1) with 26 points and 11 rebounds. Malik Beasley added 18 points.

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Milwaukee Bucks: An Off Night for Damian Lillard and Team in 127-110 Loss  Against Atlanta Hawks

In his comeback from offseason knee surgery, three-time All-Star forward Khris Middleton of the Bucks did not play because the team is monitoring his workload. It is anticipated that he will be available for the Miami Heat game on Monday.

Milwaukee missed seven of its first eight shots and looked lethargic right away. Atlanta held the Bucks to 38.5% shooting in the first quarter, leading 31-25.

In the second, the Hawks (1-2) took the lead and extended it to 23 points. At the break, their lead was 68-47.

Young shot 5-for-14, continuing his poor shooting start to the season. Young had a 4-for-16 performance in Friday’s home loss against the New York Knicks. In Atlanta’s 116-110 season-opening loss to Charlotte on Wednesday, he finished the game 4-for-19.

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