Basketball superstar Damian Lillard made a spectacular debut for the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA professional league and set a club record at the start of the season.
The guard scored 39 points in the title candidate’s 118:117 home win against the Philadelphia 76ers to open the season.
Never before had a professional recorded more points in his Bucks debut. The old record, set by Terry Cummings in 1984, was 34 points. Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo harmonized brilliantly with his new teammate and contributed 23 points and 13 rebounds.
Lillard is living up to expectations
“I got into these types of situations knowing what was expected of me,” said Lillard, who was traded from the Portland Trail Blazers last month. “They encourage me to take control, to make decisions.”
Hit from all angles
Lillard hit nine of 20 shots from the field, including four of twelve three-pointers. The 33-year-old also sank all 17 of his free throws, plus eight rebounds and four assists. For the Sixers, who competed without James Harden, who started training camp late, Tyrese Maxey was the top scorer with 31 points, and MVP Joel Embiid scored 24 points.
Lakers prevail against Suns
The Los Angeles Lakers around basketball superstar LeBron James celebrated their first win of the season. After the defeat in the opening game at champions Denver Nuggets, the Lakers prevailed at home against the Phoenix Suns with 100:95.
Anthony Davis stood out for the hosts with 30 points and 13 rebounds, James had 21 points. Even a strong Kevin Durant (39 points, 11 rebounds) couldn’t prevent the guests from Arizona from losing.
Trouble surrounding top star James Harden
Meanwhile, the NBA opened an investigation into Philadelphia because top star James Harden wasn’t there in Milwaukee. The 76ers waived Harden because he had not been with the team for ten days and was insisting on a change. The franchise justified his absence with Harden’s physical condition.
According to the rules, teams are only allowed to leave their star players out of games broadcast on national TV because of injuries, personal reasons and “rare and exceptional circumstances.”