‘Crazy stat’ – Giannis and Lillard fix chemistry issues for revitalized Bucks to eclipse Kobe and Shaq’s historic numbers

The Milwaukee Bucks have turned things around in remarkable fashion.

A few weeks ago, the Bucks went 2-8 to start the season and franchise face Giannis Antetokounmpo was at the center of serious trade speculation.

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Fast forward and Giannis, along with superstar teammate Damian Lillard, is the NBA’s deadliest duo for a 14-11 Bucks team just one game away from lifting the NBA Cup.

On Tuesday night in Las Vegas, the Bucks will take on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the high-flying Oklahoma City Thunder in the championship game of the In-Season Tournament.

The heavily criticized Las Vegas showpiece lacks much of the prestige and esteem of an NBA championship, but it represents the chance for silverware, however slight, for a team largely written off at the start of the season. but which is starting to trend in the right direction.

For Los Angeles Lakers in 2023, see Milwaukee in 2024.

The Bucks won a World Championship in 2021 and looked set to dominate The Association for the next five years with the ‘Greek Freak’ causing havoc.

However, it didn’t work out as injuries, early playoff exits and the ascension of a powerful Boston Celtics team left a battered and bruised Bucks team in the dust.

To maximize $186 million man Giannis’ championship window, Milwaukee made a big offseason splash in 2023, acquiring All-NBA guard Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers to become the Oscar Robertson to Antetokounmpo’s Kareem-Abdul Jabbar.

On paper, ‘Dame Time’ and Giannis’ fit was as secure as it gets, but the Antetokounmpo-Lillard axis struggled to find its groove.

A turbulent 2023 season ended with a first-round playoff exit and a coaching change that saw Doc Rivers replace incumbent Adrian Griffin.

Suddenly, the Lillard-Antetokounmpo tandem was asking more questions than it answered with no obvious solution.

Previously, they were both their team’s undisputed no. 1 options — Dame in Portland, Giannis in Milwaukee — but suddenly they’d teamed up with no real idea of ​​how to fit their individual styles.

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Both stars, named to the NBA’s 75th anniversary team, acknowledged their chemistry issues and admitted they worked through childhood issues while being as open — and accountable — with each other as possible.

“Me and him (Giannis) have to be able to hold each other accountable,” Lillard explained.

“I have to be able to say something to you. And you always have to be able to say something to me.”

“He’s always had to put his foot down in Milwaukee … and that’s how I’ve always been in Portland. And I think now that we’re together … we both have to look over and say, ‘This is also a top-75 player.’ And I have to trust him to carry this with me.”

The 2024 season marked a clean slate and a chance to put that ‘confidence’ to the test.

But their relationship looked as fragile as ever as the new campaign rolled around, as Milwaukee suffered loss after loss — including a double-digit loss to Boston — to leave them languishing near the foot of the Eastern Conference.

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The Bucks were largely derided as legitimate championship contenders by media and analysts alike.

After four consecutive double-digit losses in October, one outlet called the Bucks a ‘sinking ship’ and claimed it’s “becoming increasingly clear that Milwaukee is no longer giving Antetokounmpo his best chance to win.”

Since then, either through hard work or divine intervention, the Bucks have morphed into a more than competent basketball operation.

They went 6-1 after that 2-8 start and have won their last three, including a 114-109 win against the Orlando Magic in the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup and a 110-102 semifinal victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

The firepower of Antetokounmpo and Lillard proved too much for either team to overcome, and the All-Star pair showed signs that they can still reach their staggering ceiling.

Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 37 points, seven rebounds, two steals and four blocks against the Magic. Lillard added 28 points and nine assists while scoring 11 of Milwaukee’s final 13 points in the fourth quarter.

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Giannis followed that up with a 32-point, 14-rebound, nine-assist, four-block performance against the Hawks, while Lillard had 25 points, six rebounds, seven assists and three steals.

As a pair, Lillard and Giannis are scoring at an almost unprecedented rate.

Antetokounmpo is the NBA’s leading scorer, averaging 32.7 points per game. game, while Dame is 11th and has 25.7 points per game. competition.

They lead all duos in points per game and total points scored this season. They are currently averaging 58.4 points per game, the third most any two teammates have combined for since the NBA-ABA merger.

To put that into historical context, Giannis and Dame have averaged more points as a duo than Los Angeles Lakers greats Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant did in the 2000-2001 (57.2 ppg) and 2002- 2003 (57.5 ppg).

The Bucks pair trails only James Harden and Russell Westbrook (61.5 ppg) from the 2019-20 season and Mavs duo Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving (59.5 ppg) in the 2023-24 campaign in terms of combined scoring.

“Crazy stat,” one fan wrote on social media.

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It goes without saying that the Bucks’ All-NBA duo puts together a master class in the two-man game, especially in the clutch, which has ultimately propelled Milwaukee to the brink of NBA Cup success.

After the semifinal win against the Hawks, Lillard shared his thoughts on his growing chemistry with Antetokounmpo.

“You have to play the game the right way, especially when you’re on a good team,” said the 34-year-old floor general.

“I’m on the floor with a lot of good players, a lot of shooting. You’re out there with a guy like Giannis, who’s going to draw a lot of attention when he’s going downhill.

“There’s really no reason for me to force the action. There’s nothing wrong with getting off the ball and spacing — because of that, allowing the ball to move has been a big part of our success. It ends up where it’s supposed to when everyone does the right thing.”

It’s taken time, but Giannis and Dame are finally starting to click and live up to their devastating potential.

The pair enter the NBA Cup Finals as underdogs against the No. 1 seed OKC, which has one of the most exciting young rosters in the league and is tipped to win this season’s chip.

Nevertheless, Milwaukee should take solace in the fact that they possess arguably the best two players from each of the two players on their side, who in a one-off, winner-take-all shootout, are capable of beating any team on a given evening.