When the Milwaukee Bucks won their first NBA championship in 1971, a youthful Kareem Abdul-Jabbar—then known as Lew Alcindor—led them to victory. After more than 50 years, Milwaukee saw another basketball legend lead them to victory once more. This time, the Bucks won their second championship under the leadership of Giannis Antetokounmpo, the 26-year-old “Greek Freak.” Damian Lillard’s arrival has reignited the Bucks, who have struggled to retain their championship form since their victory in 2021.
Recent numbers that Basketball Forever posted cast doubt on Giannis’ hegemony with the Bucks. Notably, with Giannis in the lineup when Lillard was out, Milwaukee dropped five games. Conversely, they won 3-1 after Giannis took a break and Lillard dressed. Is Damian Lillard the key component the Bucks have been lacking, then? Or may Dame and the Greek Freak’s collaboration be the key to the Bucks’ championship run?
The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Phoenix Suns 140-129 today despite the absence of their star player, Giannis Antetokounmpo (30.8 PPG, 11.2 RPG), thanks to a spectacular performance from beyond the arc. Despite Giannis missing Sunday’s game due to a sore hamstring, the Bucks destroyed the Suns with a three-point shooting masterclass. With the exception of one game on March 4, when he was sidelined due to Achilles inflammation, he has missed four of the Bucks’ fifteen games this season.
Giannis falls, while Damian rises.
Damian Lillard stepped up to take center stage and more than made up for it with a career-high double-double of 31 points and 16 assists. Bobby Portis joined the celebration after coming off the bench to score 31 points in just 13 minutes, matching Lillard’s total. He also added 10 rebounds. His 5-for-5 performance from beyond the arc and 10-of-13 overall from the field demonstrated his exceptional efficiency. Dame and Bobby combined for an incredible 62 points!
The Bucks shot a franchise-high 24 of their 41 attempts from downtown, raining threes all night long. After missing 16 games due to an ankle sprain, Khris Middleton returned and contributed 22 points. In order to defeat the formidable Suns offense, which was headed by Devin Booker (23 points), Grayson Allen (25 points), and Bradley Beal (28 points), a flurry of 3-pointers was necessary.
With the victory, the Bucks are now 1.5 games ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers in second place in the Eastern Conference. They’re also feeling very good about themselves after defeating the Raptors (128-112) and the Clippers (113-106), both without Giannis but with Dame leading the way. The Boston Celtics will play next on March 21. Do the Bucks perform any better without Giannis? Or will Dame and the Greek Freak emerge as the league’s most formidable team to guide their side to victory? Keep checking back to learn more!