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LAS VEGAS — The Milwaukee Bucks paired Giannis Antetokounmpo with Damian Lillard to contend for championships. Early on in the season, this mindset was nothing more than a dream with the Bucks staring down a 2-8 record. However, Giannis and Dame have utilized the NBA Cup as a means to not only improve the team's success but also their own as one of the league's fiercest duos.
In front of a packed crowd in T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Lillard put the Bucks on their backs in order to get past the Atlanta Hawks 110-102 and advance to the championship game of the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup. The Bucks are 6-0 in the tournament games this season, and it was the late-game heroics of Giannis and Dame that kept their NBA Cup championship hopes alive despite Trae Young's massive performance for Atlanta.
Whereas Giannis led the way 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. Giannis Antetokounmpo's late block late in the fourth quarter on Hawks center Clint Capela injected energy into the Bucks, and it was Lillard's 12-foot floater with 23 seconds left that ended Atlanta's NBA Cup run. However, what doesn't show up in the numbers is how good the Bucks' two superstars have been down the stretch run of games.
More importantly, how good they have been playing in pick-and-roll sets and the two-man game with one another.
“We're feeling more comfortable. Our chemistry is the best it's ever been, and at the end of the day, it takes time,” Giannis told ClutchPoints after the Bucks' NBA Cup semifinals victory on Saturday night. “A lot of people have high expectations for us from Day 1 to be the best duo to ever play this game. This is our second year playing together, and we are more comfortable with one another. We know one another's spots better.
“As you see, our chemistry is getting better and better down the stretch. We know (the two-man game) is something we like to do. We feel very, very comfortable that we can get to our spots and be more effective when we play that two-man game.
“There's always areas where we can improve, which we will improve, but I am so happy how comfortable we are playing that two-man game down the stretch.”
Early in the first half, the Hawks found a lot of success against the Bucks by speeding up the game and not allowing Milwaukee to get back in transition. This was met with force and intensity from Giannis and Dame, as both stars returned the favor to Atlanta by getting the ball out early in transition.
That narrative changed in the second half due to the Bucks' stars slowing things down and breaking down Atlanta's defense. Whether it was Giannis Antetokounmpo or Lillard setting the screen, these two thrived in their two-man-game sets, allowing for easy looks at the rim and high-percentage shots to close the game.
“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 told ClutchPoints 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 final 16 points the Bucks scored against the Hawks were a product of Antetokounmpo and Lillard finding success in the two-man game. This either resulted in trips to the free-throw line because of Atlanta being out of position, or it resulted in Brook Lopez getting an easy look at the basket due to the Hawks' defense giving so much attention to Milwaukee's two stars.
For Lillard, this two-man brilliance he has found with Giannis is a product of realizing the edge they have over teams. While the first half was all about playing fast and pushing the ball in transition, this game was won by the Bucks in the final few minutes because of Lillard's ability to position their two-man against Atlanta's weak spots.
“Slowing down and executing to where me and Giannis are the first two guys to make a play and them not,” Lillard explained, “We were positioned on the weak side to take advantage of it how we wanted to, and it worked out.”
Doc Rivers focused on Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks winning NBA Cup
Plenty of teams have utilized the NBA Cup as a means to quickly turn around early-season misfortunes. Although Milwaukee head coach Doc Rivers won't admit it, the Bucks have utilized this tournament as a way to snap out of the funk they found themselves in early on.
Between the competition level and the ability to work on certain aspects of the team in high-pressure situations, Rivers has been able to help Giannis and Dame unlock their full potential in the two-man game by putting them in different sets to success on offense.
Still, the main goal for Milwaukee has been increasing their intensity and simply making their dreams a reality in the NBA Cup.
“It's just a competition, man. You want your team to be competitive. You want them to — I'm not going to get on a soapbox, but I just think it's all about accepting the challenge,” Rivers said in his postgame remarks. “We tend to run from chhalenge a lot, and we talked about it. You know, let's accept it. Let's put our name out there and try to win. If we don't win it, we don't win it. But there's nothing wrong with saying you want to win something.
“If you win it, great. If you don't, at least you went for it. That's why I am proud of our guys. Giannis Antetokounmpo did it, and he was the first to throw it out there: ‘We want to win.' I think it's good for our team.”
After defeating the Hawks, Rivers said the team will take Sunday off to rest and enjoy their trip in Las Vegas as a team. Regardless of who their opponent is on Sunday, the Bucks understand that they will need to refocus their energy and prepare for another high-intensity game that will be full of momentum swings.
That is what Milwaukee faced on Saturday against Atlanta, yet it was the excellence of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Lillard in the two-man game that set a standard of offensive brilliance the Hawks couldn't match.
So what is the message over the next few days? One could say it is redemption for their early season woes, but Rivers and the Bucks simply want to win the NBA Cup to continue building momentum toward their ultimate goal of winning the NBA Finals.
“I honestly just want to win the cup,” Rivers stated. “Outside of Milwaukee, a lot of people ask, ‘What's going on?' I don't think one person inside felt that at all. We just believed it was going to click and happen. I am going to make a point to say we assumed it. We still got a long ways to go. I look at our team, and I think we have a vast growth that we are going to have in order to become a better team. That is what is so exciting about this group because we have a bunch of veterans who are still changing for some of the new things we are doing.
“It's been great to see.”
