More than a few folks out there have come out to say that what we saw from Milwaukee Bucks duo Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard on Sunday against the Los Angeles Clippers was the best iteration of this pairing all season long. I do not disagree.
Giannis and Dame amassed 69 points between them to lead the Bucks to a crucial 124-117 victory in LA. What’s even more impressive than the pair accounting for more than half of Milwaukee’s total score during the game is the fact that they did so in an eye-opening manner.
Milwaukee Bucks Superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard Finally on the Same Page
It has been a long road for Giannis and Lillard, whose partnership did not exactly come firing out of the gate. They’ve worked hard on finding a way to co-exist productively, which admittedly, had more than a few bumps on the road.
They’ve finally found their groove, which according to Dame, has a lot to do with their ability to communicate:
“And I think we’re just, first of all, having a lot more dialogue about what I need from him and he’s telling me what he needs for me,” Lillard said after taking down the Clippers with his game-high 35 points, via Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “And I think our understanding is getting much better. And because of that, I’m able to get to certain spots and I’m using him against the defense and vice versa. When we get the kind of attention that we’ve been getting, where it’s a guy guarding me and his guy is being aggressive and then the help is pulling over to guard whichever one of us ends up with the ball, then the next guy is getting a clean shot.”
This communication is both verbal and non-verbal. The pair have been visibly more vocal to each other whenever they’re on the floor together, but their body language and their anticipation of each other’s actions speak volumes as well.
Rome was not built in a day and the case is the same for Milwaukee’s superstar duo. At this point, however, the empire seems primed to conquer the rest of the NBA.
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