Giannis Antetokounmpo emphasized his growing chemistry with Damian Lillard after the Bucks' 132-117 win over the Mavericks, highlighting their two-man game. He praised Lillard’s scoring threat, their ability to read defenses, and their communication in clutch moments.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 29 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, Damian Lillard scored 28 and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Dallas Mavericks 132-117 on Saturday night.
Gary Trent Jr. added 20 points as the Bucks won for the sixth time in seven games, surging into fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee improved to 21-1 when scoring at least 120 points, which they did for the third time in the past four games.
"Look, we have to play with one another," Antetokounmpo said.
"And (coach Doc Rivers) has been like pressuring us and forcing us to play with one another and at the end of the day we have to understand that we are threats. People are worrying about Dame coming off the handoff and shooting the three, people are worrying about me going downhill.
People are worrying about me when I set a screen and roll hard to the rim and Dame is able to come off and throw it up to me. Or, if the low man pre-rotate, he can throw it to the corner for an open three. We can make so many actions off the two-man game and right now I feel like we're embracing it. We are doing it."
Combining for 56.3 points, 16.7 rebounds and 13.1 assists per game, these two give Milwaukee a luxury few rosters have. Antetokounmpo, who entered shooting 58% on free throws, was 11 of 13 from the line.
Aside from their offense and playmaking – they came into the game as the highest scoring duo in the league at just under 57 points per game - Antetokounmpo and Lillard helped turn the game with their defensive efforts late in the second quarter and early in the third.
The duo combined to score Milwaukee’s final 13 points before the break, turning a one-point deficit into an eight-point edge. Lillard made the first bucket of the second half, which started with a 10-2 Milwaukee run for an 81-65 lead.
"We know the last five minutes, he told me, 'Hey, come get me, it's me and you now.'" Antetokounmpo said. "Or, he tells me, 'Hey, get in the post and if they double, I'm right here.' We talk to one another and we know when it's go time.
Sometimes it's gonna work, sometimes it's not gonna work, but we are doing it. We are willing to do it, and we've been doing it the last couple of games. Actually not the last couple of games, we've been doing it all year long, but the last couple of games we're able to close some games out that way."
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