Bucks’ Damian Lillard Reveals How Milwaukee Slowed Down Hawks in NBA Cup

Following Saturday’s Emirates NBA Cup semifinal matchup between the Atlanta Hawks and the Milwaukee Bucks, it’s been made clear there’s a new dynamic duo in the NBA.

Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard put together a masterclass two-man game late in the stretch to come up with a huge 110-102 win to compete for the title on Tuesday. This is great news for Bucks fans, especially after the rocky 2-8 start Milwaukee underwent at the beginning of the season.

Both players carried the Bucks to victory with Antetokounmpo finishing with 32 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists against the Hawks, Lillard finished the game equally as important with 25 points, seven assists, and six rebounds.

There have now been a number of instances where both Lillard and Antetokounmpo both come up big late in the stretch, and it’s working for this team.

Following the Bucks win on Saturday, Lillard broke down the ins and outs of the offensive game plan between himself and backcourt mate Giannis Antetokounmpo.

“They are one of the fastest teams in the league. A lot of times, teams that play at that pace offensively, they struggle to get back when the ball is going the other way. That is why we found success pushing the ball the other way,” Lillard said regarding the Hawks’ first-half pace. “As the game went on, it becomes a game where execution matters. You don’t want to be rushing through possessions. You want to make them defend to where it works in your favor.

“That is what we did. We went to that two-man game with me and Giannis on the clear side, so we had space, and there were no extra defenders there. We had Brook [Lopez] in the paint, so when they rotated to Giannis early, we had that high-low working.”

The Hawks struggled late in the fourth quarter to pick apart Lillard and Antetokounmpo’s two-man game. In fact, the final 16 points from Milwaukee resulted from some form of a pick-and-roll at the top of the key. Either Lillard and Antetokounmpo scored or took a trip to the free throw line, or they found an open Brook Lopez while the Hawks were out of position on defense. Textbook offense.

Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo says all around the team just looks and feels more comfortable right now. As the chemistry on the Bucks continues to develop, they could ideally continue climbing the ranks in the East.

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