We don’t know whether Lillard and Antetokounmpo have truly become close friends. After all, Lillard said some time ago that his friendship with Antetokounmpo still needs time to cultivate. But in these few games, what is certain is that the chemical reaction between Lillard and Antetokounmpo is getting better and better.
In the early morning victory over the Clippers, Antetokounmpo scored 34 points, 7 rebounds, 10 assists, 1 steal and 1 block in the game. Lillard made 11 of 19 shots, scored 35 points, 7 rebounds and 11 assists.
The last time the nba team scored 30+10+5 at the same time, it was Jokic and Murray in last year's finals; and in two consecutive games, the combination of Lillard and Antetokounmpo scored 20+ points and 10+ assists at the same time. The first pair in history.
Speaking of which, the Bucks played mediocrely in this game. Leonard and George were missing on the opposite side, and Harden, who led the team with a single core, was not feeling well today, but the Clippers still fought the Bucks to the final stage. In the decisive stage, the Clippers' disadvantage of lacking stars was revealed.
The Bucks' Lillard and Alphabet continued to score points, but it was difficult for the Clippers to respond to any one of them. With 3 and a half minutes left, the Bucks led the Clippers 110-107. With 1 minute and 19 seconds left, the Bucks 119-109 the Clippers, Lillard's pick-and-roll with Antetokounmpo during this time killed the game.
9 points were all obtained by Lillard. During this period, the Bucks played 4 rounds of "profit pick-and-rolls". Lillard attacked 3 times, all of which were successful, including 2 three-pointers and 1 resulting in a three-pointer. Foul committed.
In the three rounds, it can be said that the Clippers' defense has expanded each time. Zubac has stepped on the three-point line defense, and Mann has chased the three-point line. But Lillard's shooting range is unlimited in the half court.
Lillard played more decisively. After the pick-and-roll, the opponent double-teamed, and he passed it to Antetokounmpo for him to solve. Of course, the quality of the pass can be higher, and it is best to pass it before the opponent's defensive rotation is in place.
If the opponent's defense hesitates a little, or Antetokounmpo blocks the shooting space for him, Lillard raises his hand and shoots without any hesitation. The Lillard who was originally in Portland is back, which is what the Bucks want to see.
I have to say that the All-Star mvp has indeed given Lillard more confidence. Antetokounmpo and the entire Bucks team have given Lillard more support. Before the All-Star Game, there were only a few games where Lillard felt good. In the last four games, Lillard averaged 31 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game, shooting 50% from the field and 45.5% from three-point range. 5 three-pointers.
Lillard said: "I pride myself on taking responsibility in key moments. I think a big part of that is you have to accept and understand that you're going to underperform sometimes. When things don't go my way, I will become more fearless, I have always been like this."
In the fourth quarter today, Lillard scored 16 points and Antetokounmpo 9 points. The two of them scored 25 of the Bucks' 33 points in the final quarter. Antetokounmpo's level is still at MVP level, but he is still improving this season.
With the cooperation between Lillard and Antetokounmpo, Antetokounmpo will definitely be on the side of the sacrifice. In the past, when he was in the pick-and-roll, he just had to think about how to catch the ball and pass down the ball. Now he has to continue to improve his pick-and-roll quality and learn how to use his torso to create shooting space for Lillard.
Because Antetokounmpo does not have a stable enough shooting range, he must do these blue-collar jobs. Only in this way can the "profit pick-and-roll" exert a stronger effect.
Of course there is another reason that cannot be ignored. The Bucks hired Lao Li as the head coach. No matter how much dark history Lao Li has, as long as Antetokounmpo obeys Lao Li, that's enough. Antetokounmpo was obviously dissatisfied with Griffin before, so no matter how good Griffin is, the Bucks must replace him.
The Bucks have always been led by Antetokounmpo. Lillard was obtained by Antetokounmpo's pressure on the management, and the replacement of Griffin was also the result of Antetokounmpo's pressure. The prerequisite for Antetokounmpo to be able to cover with peace of mind is that he is willing.
At the beginning of the season, many people hoped that the combination of Lillard and Antetokounmpo would immediately kill everyone, but the reality is that the Bucks still need Antetokounmpo to take over.Now that Lillard has regained his confidence and touch, everything can come in time before the playoffs arrive.
