Bucks vs. 76ers: Ringing In the Season with a Win

Damian Lillard drains six threes in victory

In the 2024-25 season opener, the Milwaukee Bucks handled the Philadelphia 76ers, 124-109.

Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ Bucks In Six Minutes podcast below.

What Did We Learn?

Damian Lillard absolutely brought it. He was a key spark in Milwaukee taking home the victory, dropping in six threes on the night en route to an impressive 30 point outing. All offseason long, Dame has talked about how he has a better footing heading into this season. He has a year with the Bucks under his belt. He’s more familiar with Doc Rivers. He was also able to train during the offseason at his own pace and didn’t have any limitations like he did last year when he was on the trade block. He really seemed to develop into a groove and caught fire in the blink of an eye. Those types of performances will be massive for Milwaukee, especially when Khris Middleton appears again in the starting five and shows off the Bucks’ versatile starting five.

Three Things

The OG Bench Mob showed up.

After a full offseason where they were the subject of hypothetical Bucks moves, Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton stepped up in a large way. Their second quarter performance capitalized a momentous swing that saw Milwaukee really take control of things. At one point, we even got hit with a “pay me” celebration from Bobby. When it was all said and done, BP racked up 16 points while Connaughton contributed with nine of his own. In an offseason that saw the Bucks bolster their bench depth, it’d be absolutely massive for the two of them to step up their playing level. It’ll definitely be something to keep an eye on if it’s sustainable or not as the season progresses.

Gary Trent Jr. had a solid debut.

The biggest offseason acquisition didn’t have the biggest game, but he provided flashes as to how big of an impact he can have on the squad. He’d conclude things with 11 points on 3-of-6 shooting, including a pair of threes. You could really see the familiarity he and Dame had with one another from their playing time in Portland together. However, in addition to his offense, you saw glimpses of his defense in action as well. Multiple times, he’d be up close and pressed to his opponent, stifling them and not giving any room. That level of play on each end of the floor is going to do wonders for the Bucks.

Taurean Prince stepped up big in his debut as well.

With Khris Middleton being sidelined and unable to go, Taurean Prince got the call to fill in his spot in the starting five from Doc Rivers. And boy, did he produce. In 30 minutes of action, Prince chimed in with 16 points. He did so by going a crafty 4-of-5 from the floor from deep, immediately getting his fingerprints involved in a double-digit Bucks lead. Once again, this epitomizes just how different this year is compared to last year when looking at the team’s depth. This obviously won’t be the first time Prince is going to be relied on like this, but the fact that he stepped up so big in his first opportunity is something to applaud.

Bonus Bucks Bits

• AJ Green made an appearance pretty early in this one. That was the only real action he’d get, as he finished with four minutes on the night and not registering a point.
• Multiple instances throughout the night, Brook Lopez and Damian Lillard hooked up on the halfcourt screen. It was a thing of beauty nearly every time. That’ll be something to really keep an eye on this year.
• Speaking of Brook, he picked up where he left off on the defensive end, tallying six blocks on the night. It’s always a joy to watch him on that end of the floor.
• This meme is officially back:

• And so is this promo:

Up Next

The Bucks will look to start the season off 2-0 when they come home Friday night for their home opener against the Chicago Bulls. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. and will be on FanDuel Sports WI.

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