Damian Lillard scored 30 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 25 to power the Milwaukee Bucks to a commanding 124-109 victory over the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers in their NBA season-opener on Wednesday at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
The 76ers, missing both Joel Embiid and new acquisition Paul George, struggled to keep pace with the Bucks’ high-powered offense. Lillard’s three-pointer in the second quarter gave the Bucks a 36-33 lead, which they never relinquished, extending it to 58-47 by halftime.
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Antetokounmpo, showing no signs of the knee tendinitis that plagued him during the preseason, contributed 14 rebounds and seven assists to go with his 25 points. “We’re in a good rhythm,” Antetokounmpo said, praising the team’s chemistry with Lillard, his new backcourt partner.
Without Embiid, who is recovering from knee surgery, and George, sidelined by a bone bruise, the Sixers relied heavily on Tyrese Maxey. Maxey had a strong start, helping the 76ers hold a one-point lead after the first quarter. However, Milwaukee’s depth, including 16 points each from Taurean Prince and Bobby Portis, proved too much for Philadelphia to handle.
Maxey finished with 28 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Bucks’ well-rounded attack. Sixers coach Nick Nurse noted, “We missed our key guys, but we need to find ways to execute better even without them.”
In other games, Kevin Durant led the Phoenix Suns to a 116-113 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. Despite a raucous home crowd celebrating the Clippers’ debut in their new Intuit Dome, Durant’s 25 points spoiled the festivities. Clippers star James Harden missed a crucial free throw with four seconds remaining in overtime, sealing the loss.
Elsewhere, No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher impressed in his NBA debut, helping the Atlanta Hawks to a 120-116 win over the Brooklyn Nets. Risacher hit a three-pointer on his first attempt, finishing with seven points, while Trae Young led the Hawks with 30 points and 12 assists.
The Indiana Pacers came from behind to defeat the Detroit Pistons 115-109, thanks to 20 points from Myles Turner and 19 from Bennedict Mathurin, who scored 14 of his points in the decisive fourth quarter.
The Golden State Warriors cruised to a 139-104 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, with Buddy Hield leading the charge with 22 points off the bench.
Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers dismantled the Toronto Raptors 136-106 in their home opener. Evan Mobley, with 25 points and eight rebounds, outperformed Raptors star Scottie Barnes, who struggled with just nine points on 3-for-14 shooting.
The Raptors will seek redemption on Friday when they face the 76ers, while the Cavaliers host the Detroit Pistons in their next matchup.
