The Milwaukee Bucks will attempt to complete a perfect six-game homestand when they face the Orlando Magic on Thursday.
The Bucks extended their season record in Milwaukee to 15-1 with a 132-119 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday — their 14th straight win in Wisconsin.
Damian Lillard scored 40 points — his high since joining the Bucks in September — and in the process became the 51st player in NBA history with 20,000 career points (20,034).
A 26.3-point-per-game scorer for the season, Lillard would pass Antawn Jamison (20,042) for No. 50 all-time with nine or more points on Thursday. He also would top Tom Chambers (20,049) for No. 49 if he records at least 16 points vs. the Magic.
“It’s a great accomplishment. It’s a rare space to be in in this league,” Lillard said postgame on Tuesday. “Sometimes you don’t really see the light at the end of the tunnel. You’ve just got to have that faith in yourself.
He added, “A lot of times, people on the outside don’t see it. When I was younger, I was offended by it, like, why don’t they see what I see in myself?”
In his first season with Milwaukee, Lillard has stepped in to contribute to an offense that scores at the league’s second-highest clip (124.7 points per game). The Bucks are also one of only three teams with 20 wins.
Lillard noted in his press conference on Tuesday that the win was indicative of Milwaukee’s ability to attack in multiple ways, specifically with 30.6-point-per-game scorer Giannis Antetokounmpo offsetting a season-low 11 points with a career-high 16 assists.
Antetokounmpo also grabbed 14 rebounds for his second triple-double of the season. Bobby Portis came off the bench for a 23-point, 10-rebound double-double.
Orlando heads into the Thursday contest on the second leg of a back-to-back set, having dropped a home matchup against the Miami Heat 115-106 on Wednesday.
Cole Anthony scored 20 points off the bench in the defeat, but no other Orlando player registered more than 15.
The Magic took their third straight loss, sending them into a three-game road swing having dropped five of their past five. In each of the five defeats, Orlando scored 111 points or fewer — less than its season average of 113 per game.
“We just have to continue to focus on the shots that we’re getting but knowing when they’re coming in the flow of the offense,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said following the Wednesday game. “We’re getting great looks, and they are leading to leak-outs. We have to know that whether they go in or not, we have to make sure we’re getting back (on defense) and finding the right matchup in transition.”
Orlando beat Milwaukee 112-97 in the teams’ Nov. 11 meeting, when four Magic players posted between 19 and 26 points. Paolo Banchero’s 26 points and 12 rebounds led the way, while Franz Wagner scored 24 points and Jalen Suggs added 20. Moritz Wagner registered 19 points off the bench in the win.
Antetokounmpo amassed 35 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in that game, which the Bucks played without Lillard.
–Field Level Media