Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard’s Teamwork Outshines Julius Randle – 3 Takeaways as Bucks Reach IST Semi-Finals

The Milwaukee Bucks dominated the New York Knicks in the quarterfinal of the in-season tournament. The Knicks tried their best to hold off the Bucks, but the lethal duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard proved too much for them to handle. Giannis and Dame combined for a whopping 63 points. Julius Randle had a monster 41-point game and kept the Knicks neck and neck with the Bucks till the end of the first half. But Milwaukee outplayed New York in the second half and blew them out 146-122.

Here are the three key takeaways as Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s impressive teamwork ruined Julius Randle’s night and led the Bucks to the in-season tournament semi-final.

1. Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo might be the best duo in the NBA

Everyone knows what Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo can do individually on the court. But they are starting to prove their mettle as teammates and might even have become the best duo in the NBA. Tonight was their third straight game combining for over 60 points. They took some time to adjust to each other at the beginning of the season, but they have figured out how to give their best with both players on the court. Giannis had his fifth career 35+ point, 10+ assist, and 5+ rebound game tonight, tying him with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most in Bucks’ franchise history. That shows how comfortable Giannis has become sharing the court with Dame.

2. New York Knicks need more pieces to become title contenders

Knicks fans have suffered through years of failure after the golden era of Patrick Ewing. But they have finally built a team that has brought some glory back to New York. The Knicks acquired Julius Randle in 2019 and immediately got back in the playoff picture after a 7-year drought. They then added Jalen Brunson last season and took one step further towards success. But the Knicks are far from being title contenders. Despite Julius Randle scoring a season-high 41 points tonight and Jalen Brunson putting up a solid 24 points, they were nowhere close to matching the level of Dame and Giannis. Although the Knicks are headed in the right direction, they need one more superstar to make an impact in the playoffs.

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3. Milwaukee’s defense is still struggling

Thanks to Milwaukee’s blazing offense, they have been one of the best teams in the league this season. They are among the Top 3 teams in offense, with a rating of 120.1. But Milwaukee’s defense is still one of the worst in the league. They are ranked 21st in the league with a defensive rating of 115.9. Opponents face no problem scoring against the Bucks, which can prove costly come playoff time. The Bucks might need to make some moves during the regular season to get more two-way players who can do the dirty work and protect the rim. Milwaukee’s defense will be tested against the Indiana Pacers in the in-season tournament semi-final.

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