The pairing of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard was on show for the first time in the Milwaukee Bucks’ preseason match versus the LA Lakers, and it was a sight to behold.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and seven-time All-Star Damian Lillard’s partnership got off to a flying start in the Bucks’ preseason showdown versus the Lakers, as they secured a 108-97 win at the Crypto.com Arena.
Lillard joined the Bucks as part of a three-team deal with the Phoenix Suns and the Portland Trail Blazers last month, and scored 14 points on his debut on Sunday.
Dame and Giannis on the break 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/oLl4CioLxT
— ESPN (@espn) October 15, 2023
‘We Can Do This All Night’ – Lillard
“Having another guy out there that’s just dominant,” Lillard said following Antetokounmpo’s 16 point game.
“He can dominate a game and win you a game. First couple plays, they blitz me, they trap me and the guy that I’m releasing the ball to is Giannis. So I’m just like, ‘Uh, we can do this all night.’ You know what I mean?”
Antetokoumpo returned the favour in his post-match press conference, and was full of praise for his new teammate Lillard.
“I feel like it’s like a little version of me, a guard version.” the 28-year-old said.
“He’s so quiet, doesn’t say much. Goes about his business. Takes care of his family. Shows up. Practices really hard. Helps his teammates when he needs to be vocal. And when the game starts, he’s just a killer.
“I learned so much from him, he knows how to play this game. He puts himself in position to be successful. He helps us and puts me in position to be successful.”
‘Giannis Might Have To Get Mad At Me’ – Lillard
Lillard admitted it might not be plain sailing going forward though, and said that Antetokounmpo might get mad at him whilst working towards their championship goal.
“It might take a time where Giannis might have to get mad at me over something,” Lillard laughed.
“Something’s got to happen for you to really start to learn who we are and how we come together.”
Antetokounmpo responded by saying his new partner doesn’t have to worry about that, as he doesn’t think he’s ‘ever going to be mad at him’.
“I don’t think I’m ever going to be mad at him,” he said.
“What he does for this team is so much that you can never be upset. What he does, just by him being out there, he creates so much attention. It makes our game easier. By him basically doing nothing, just walking around, just being Damian Lillard.”
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