On Sunday, the Utah Jazz pulled off a stunning upset as they outscored the Milwaukee Bucks 40-13 in the fourth quarter and beat them 123-108. The Eastern Conference giants failed to get going on the offensive end in the fourth quarter and saw their 12-point lead evaporate. They are now 1-3 under new head coach Doc Rivers.
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Damian Lillard had one of his worst outings as a Buck in Utah. He was 5-of-18 from the field and scored only 12 points in an uninspired game. To make matters worse, he has also landed on Milwaukee’s injury report ahead of their game against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. Lillard has a left ankle sprain and has been listed as ‘questionable’ for the game on Tuesday, as per the Bucks’ latest reports. His participation will be a game-time decision.
The Bucks need a string of positive results after a rough start to life under coach Rivers. A win over the Suns on the road could be the antidote that wakes them up from their slumber. With the Cleveland Cavaliers leapfrogging them in the Eastern Conference standings, Milwaukee will be in no mood to rest their superstars and potentially lose more ground on the teams above them.
Lillard will likely suit up and play against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night as the Bucks look to avoid a fourth defeat in five games. Meanwhile, the Bucks’ report listed Giannis Antetokounmpo as ‘probable’ due to his ‘Right Knee; Patellar Tendinitis’.
Damian Lillard’s stint so far as a Buck
When the Bucks landed Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers, he was expected to light the league on fire alongside two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, the duo’s time together hasn’t been as impressive as expected.
Antetokounmpo has benefited from Lillard’s presence on the court. He’s averaging 31.3 points and 6.4 assists and shooting 61.3% from the field, all career-highs. However, the guard is having one of his worst campaigns, averaging only 24.9 points and 6.8 assists. In theory, playing alongside Antetokounmpo should have alleviated pressure from Lillard and given him more freedom on the offensive end. However, he’s been a role player rather than a superstar guard in Milwaukee.
The Bucks’ championship aspirations rely on Lillard playing at an All-NBA level along with Antetokounmpo. The two superstars are in their prime and were among the preseason favorites to win the NBA title. They remain among the top three in the betting odds to win the championship, but they’ve played far below expectations.
The Bucks are 33-17 and third in the Eastern Conference. They still have 32 regular season games to figure out how to maximize Antetokounmpo and Lillard’s talents. If coach Rivers fails to draw up a viable game plan to cater to his team’s superstars, Milwaukee might make sweeping changes before the 2024-25 NBA season.
