Dame leads the way for Milwaukee with 30 points
In the 2024-25 season debut, the Milwaukee Bucks kicked off their season with a 1-0 start, defeating the Philadelphia 76ers, 124-109.
With it being the first game of the regular season, there was some noticeable rust for the Bucks to start this one off. Milwaukee would go a chilly 1-of-7 from the perimeter in the opening quarter. However, Philadelphia wasn’t much better in that department, going just 2-of-7. A Tyrese Maxey buzzer-beater layup gave the Sixers a 23-22 lead after one.
The OG members of the Bench Mob brought it in the second quarter. Led by Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton, Milwaukee catapulted themselves back in front early on in the second quarter. Portis came off the bench and ignited things by pouring in 13 first-half points while Connaughton chipped in with seven of his own. After two quarters were complete, the Bucks carried a 54-44 lead into the second half.
The momentum carried into the third quarter for the Bucks. After having a horrendous first quarter shooting performance from the perimeter, Milwaukee locked in. Fueled by Damian Lillard, three after three continued to drop. Through three quarters, Dame’s 29 points served as the team high and was the leading force in the Bucks reaching the century mark through several quarters. Heading into the fourth, they owned a 100-81 lead.
From that point on, there was no real danger to the Bucks coughing up their lead. Sure, Philadelphia didn’t feature Joel Embiid or Paul George, but Milwaukee was able to get the job done. When the zeros hit the clock, the Bucks capped things off with a 124-109 victory.
Stat That Stood Out
All offseason long, Damian Lillard made it clear how good he was feeling. Looking back to last year, he had many distractions thrown at him, especially with how he was on the trade block. That whole ordeal threw a curveball towards his training. Fast forward a year, he was able to go through this past summer with consistency and continuity. Tonight, it paid off. Dame was in an absolute zone, finishing his performance with a game-high 30 points. That was exactly the type of performance he and Bucks fans wanted to see to begin the campaign.
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