Giannis and Damian Lillard are BEST duo EVER! – ESPN on Bucks beat Cavs 119-111 in Mitchell’s return

Giannis and Damian Lillard are BEST duo EVER! – ESPN on Bucks beat Cavs 119-111 in Mitchell’s return

Stepen Watson here with you Steve Novak is going to join us here on bucks live after being on the call of the Bucks 119 to 111 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers improving to 11-2 to close out the month of December the best record in the NBA here in December so let’s get

Back out to Steve Novak and Steve the two superstars carrying the Bucks home 44 of their 65 points coming in that second half to come yeah and it was great to just see the guys do you expect to close the game close the game out Giannis was

Too good Dame was too good late and especially in a game like this where it’s the last game of a four game Road Trip spent a full week in New York and there is no doubt there’s the opportunity for a let down but from Milwaukee to come out here and take care

Of business especially with their Stars taking care of it it was a a beautiful thing to see and I think especially when you’ve got an Evan Mobley a Darius Garland for Cleveland who are out for them two of their top three leading scores and Cleveland just getting Donovan Mitchell back this game even

Though he had a very good game it was great to see that Milwaukee is in a better Rhythm was able to close us out even on the road Damen Lillard with 24 points in the second half 31 for him in the game the Bucks improving to 11- one this year

When Dame goes for 30 or more points he is standing by with Melanie Ricks I’m standing here with Damen Lillard first off congratulations on the win and on going 3 and one on this road trip so you guys had some struggles in the first half what did you say to your

Teammates and vice versa during the halftime locker room session that got you going in the third quarter uh I mean we came into the locker room and we just kind of addressed that we hadn’t done a lot of things well you know they started the game better than

Us our transition defense our help defense we you know it was it was bad they got to the spots they wanted to they played a comfortable game and um you know they’re a good team they play with a lot of pace and they play Confident they got got a lot of guys out

There that can get stuff done and we just told ourselves you know it’s a game you know we played some of the the teams at the bottom of the Eastern Conference at home couple teams as you know at at the bottom of the West you know all

Teams that we respect but you know this is a different caliber of a game for us and um it was good for us and that’s what we said it’s good for us a good game on the road end of a road trip a team challenging us and you know we got

To show our character and I thought we came out in the third quarter and established that well something that you and your teammates have been addressing is your defense and something you said earlier to me today was you’re seeing improvements on defense and you guys did

Get a lot of stops in the second half where did you see that Improvement specifically tonight uh just our our togetherness you know in this league guys are too good at everything guys can create off the bounce shoot threes get get fouled you know craftiness and um

It’s a team thing you know you got to be on the string Five Guys and um I thought that was where we made the the biggest Improvement we did things together our communication um getting to spots and supporting each other we did that much more consistent in the second half thanks Dame thank

[Applause] you Damen Lillard with Melanie Ricks in our habish habish and Ro TI numbers that work the final stat lines for the pair of buck Superstars combining for 65 points in this game Giannis going 14 of 22 from the floor six of seven from the charity Strip Game nine for 16 from the

Floor and an all important 11 for 11 from the free throw line Steve Dame time was the whole second half of this game 24 points coming in that second half and boy do the Bucks look better in these close games when they’ve got Dame on their squad

You know they really do and I think that’s the most notable part about his game is that he scored pressure on the referees and the Cleveland defense to try to find a way to stop him because he was getting fouled going to the line and

11 for 11 free throws in a lot of them when it’s closing time in clutch moments we’ve seen it over and over and hopefully we just continue to see that all season long and just imagine come playoffs when it’s all the way turned up and there’s more physicality he’s a heck

Of a closer and he showed it tonight yeah I think a lot of Bucks fans were anticipating this season what it would look like with Dam and Y Yannis in the pick and roll late in games well we saw that tonight and really there was no good option defensively for Cleveland

The way they both closed this game what do you make of the way that Giannis inserted himself into this game really all four quarters for the Box yeah he had a really nice complete game and I think we contined to see giannis’s game evolve as a leader and I

Think you’ve seen it recently where he picks his spots to be a facilitator to be a rebounder to do all the Dirty Work he’s leading by example in so many ways he gets other guys involved so that he knows he can be the closer and finish out in fourth quarters he’s got a

Running mate in Dame that has obviously proven that he can do that as well but Giannis has trusted his teammates more than ever and they reward him on possessions like that or Chris gives it right back but for Giannis to again have another solid game I think this entire

Road trip you just saw Giannis go to work but very measured he continued to facilitate have his eyes up always looking for his Shooters but when he he picked his spots you could tell he was going to work if they were going to double triple put four guys on him he

Really didn’t care he was going to get a bucket and at times even in this game the Milwaukee Bucks needed him to take over to say I’m going to get this bucket I’m going to will us the momentum that we need to get this going in the right

Direction and Milwaukee didn’t lead all the way through halftime there was a 15-point lead for Cleveland but then come the third quarter all of a sudden Milwaukee with a 15-point lead as well so awesome basketball by Giannis well let’s continue to talk about that third quarter when really the

Script of this game was flipped it’s our Menard’s big money moment Steve the Bucks going plus 19 in that third quarter and they’re shooting 65% from the floor Yannis and Dame combining for 28 yeah combining for 28 both of them with 14 like you said to score the Cavs

Which you needed to we’re going into half down by seven points and all of a sudden you’re plus 19 in the third quarter alone that’s the response that you expect from a veteran group that’s got guys like Chris and Dame and Yannis they turn the defense up just like you

Saw Chris right there with backto back steals getting out on the break and then you just put the ball in Damon giannis’s hands and you let those guys finish and I think this is a very good Cleveland team that had before this game won five

Out of their last six games and they had done that without their top three leading scores which was 64 points per game on average that they were missing the last six they obviously this game got Donovan Mitchell back who averages 27 points per game that certainly was a big difference but the three-point

Shooting was not there for Cleveland and for jannis Dame and the Bucks to respond and to be able I think to not only Force Cleveland to shoot some of the shots that they did but then respond offensively late when these games really are decided it showed Milwaukee was the better

Team yeah it’s a great Point Steve Cav six for 43 from the three-point line that’s 14% the Bucks shot 41% from the three-point line bucks improving to 4- one when jannis and Dame both score 30 plus points at a game Steve Novak appreciate your time we’ll see you

Joining us back on set at fer forum for a big one on New Year’s Day here inside our Bley Sports Wisconsin Studios the bunck improving to 11-2 in the month of December the best record in the NBA in that span averaging close to 130 points per game during this

Month offensively they have looked like the best team in the NBA and their three-point shooting continues to take off thanks to Malik Beasley who has back-to- Back Games hitting five threes for these Milwaukee Bucks and ly came into the night needing just one more game to move in his second all time for

The most games hitting five threes for Milwaukee he moves into a tie with Brook Lopez Trails only Ray Allen who has done it 12 times in a season Malik has now done it nine times already this year he finishes five for eight from long distance 15 points for Beasley adds five

Rebounds as well and all five of those three-pointers came at different parts from Beyond The Arc assisted by different players we’re seeing the best of this Milwaukee Bucks offense that ranked second in the NBA in scoring and the best during the month of December still to come here on Lane Tower is under

Attack your tower has destroyed double kill ultimate an ally has been defeated speee enemy Ultimate Enemy double kill our Dragon Lane Tower is under attack destroyed a tower enemy BL your tower has destroyed an enemy has defeated an enemy has been defeated your team has destroyed a tower onslot

Our Slayer Lane Tower is under attack your tower has destroyed your team has destroyed a tower your team has destroyed a tower an ally has defeated you have defeated an enemy an ally has defeated enemy ultimate your Tower destroyed your team has destroyed a tower enemy blood fore

“Giannis and Damian Lillard are the BEST duo EVER!” – ESPN on Bucks beat Cavaliers 119-111 in Donovan Mitchell’s return