Kofi Inkoom
Milwaukee’s fresh dynamic duo, consisting of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, graced the basketball court for the very first time in the 2023 regular season during the Milwaukee Bucks’ season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night.
The Milwaukee Bucks secured a narrow one-point victory over Philadelphia with a score of 118-117, and in the process, both Lillard and Antetokounmpo cemented their names into the franchise’s history.
Antetokounmpo’s eighth successful basket of the evening allowed him to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s franchise record of 5,902 made field goals.
Records tonight. Bucks x Sixers
Damian Lillard’s 39 points are the most ever in a Bucks debut.
Kelly Oubre’s 27 points is also most by a reserve player in Sixers history . (Since 1970)
Giannis surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record for most field goals in franchise history.
— NBArepublic.com (@nba_republic) October 27, 2023
As for Lillard, his 39 points set a new record for the most points scored by a Bucks player in their debut for the franchise.
The all star point guard managed to score 14 points during the fourth quarter and achieved a flawless 17-for-17 performance from the free-throw line in the victorious game on Thursday.
Damian Lillard’s debut in a min : pic.twitter.com/45GyO4kwqd
— NBArepublic.com (@nba_republic) October 27, 2023
Lillard’s 17 consecutive successful free throws in a single game also equaled Antetokounmpo’s record for the franchise.
During that evening, Milwaukee’s newfound duo, Dame and Antetokounmpo, combined their efforts to amass a total of 64 points while making 19 out of 42 field goals.
The Dame-Antetokounmpo partnership will make its return to the court on Sunday when the Milwaukee Bucks welcome the Atlanta Hawks.