The Bucks had a profitable trip to Las Vegas as each player returned to Milwaukee $500,000 richer, courtesy of them winning the NBA Cup. They thrashed the Thunder 97-81 to become the second team after LeBron James and the Lakers to win the competition. They would have liked to stay back in Sin City for a day or two to celebrate their win. However, they had to rush back home, as they had to fly out to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers on Thursday night. And they’ll have to face them without superstar Damian Lillard.
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According to the NBA’s latest injury report, the veteran guard, who had a good outing in the NBA Cup final against OKC, is dealing with a calf strain. He’ll travel with the team to Cleveland but will not play. It’s a tough blow to Milwaukee’s odds of beating the Cavaliers, who have the best record in the league.
Lillard had been terrific of late. After missing three games due to a concussion in mid-November, he had played 12 straight and put up stellar numbers. He averaged 25.5 points on 45.5% shooting, 8.3 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in that span. The Bucks went 10-2 and climbed to fifth in the Eastern Conference standings.
Despite Damian Lillard’s absence, The Bucks will back themselves to hand Cleveland only its fifth loss this season. In the three games the guard has missed this season, they are 2-1. That may sound impressive but less so upon learning that the wins were over the Raptors and Pistons.
But the Bucks were 2-8 at that point in the season and there were questions about whether they should look into hiring a new coach, blowing up the roster and rebuilding, and trading Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, when his team was in the doldrums, the two-time MVP did not chart an exit. He locked in and steered the ship on the right path.
Over his last 14 outings, he has put up 33.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and two blocks per game and led the Bucks to an 11-3 run. The Bucks will bank on Giannis Antetokounmpo to guide them to an upset win in Cleveland, while Damian Lillard will ensure he’s on the bench, cheering his teammates on.
