Leading the series 1-0, the Milwaukee Bucks will look to complete a perfect homestand at the Fiserv Forum. Despite Giannis Antetokounmpo remaining sidelined due to a calf injury, the Bucks secured Game 1 with Damian Lillard leading the charge. The veteran guard dropped 35 points in his playoff debut for Milwaukee, compensating for the absence of their superstar forward. With Antetokounmpo’s status as ‘Doubtful’ for the fifth consecutive game, Lillard will likely have to repeat his heroics in Game 2 on Tuesday night.
The Bucks may choose to rest Antetokounmpo in Game 2 to avoid further injury, especially considering their Game 1 victory. This could give Lillard the opportunity to continue his impressive performance, as statistics indicate he thrives as the primary offensive option in Antetokounmpo’s absence. In the nine games Lillard has played without his MVP award-winning co-star, he has averaged 30.4 points, 7.1 assists, and 4.4 rebounds, compared to his averages of 23.6 points, 6.9 assists, and 4.4 rebounds in the 65 games they’ve shared the court.
The Bucks may opt to let Lillard lead the offense and focus Antetokounmpo on defense, allowing him to excel on one end of the court and support his superstar co-star on the other. If Milwaukee trusts Lillard to run the offense, he has proven that he can guide the team to victory. It remains to be seen whether head coach Doc Rivers will hand Lillard the keys to the offense for the rest of this playoff run, but Lillard’s performance in Antetokounmpo’s absence suggests he is capable of leading the Bucks to success.
