Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo still 'learning' as Hawks crush Bucks - ESPN

MILWAUKEE — Despite how smoothly Damian Lillard's debut for the Milwaukee Bucks went on opening night, his rough shooting night in the team's 127-110 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night underscored why the new-look Bucks are still a work in progress.

Lillard finished with six points and went 2-for-12 from the field (2-for-8 on 3's) with six turnovers. After scoring 39 points in his Bucks debut, Lillard finished with the largest negative point differential (-33) between a player's first and second games with a franchise in NBA history, according to research by ESPN Stats & Information research.

«We're still learning each other,» Lillard said after Sunday's game. «It's a process of when I do have a start like this or have a game like this, how do I find it without holding onto the ball. Or in the past I would search sometimes, but I don't have to, so it's where do I find those moments and those opportunities to get myself going so I can be a positive out there.

»That's part of the process. It's just our second game. We haven't played a bunch of games together. I think as we go, we'll figure that out and get better at it."

The Bucks never got into a rhythm on Sunday. They never lead against the Hawks and trailed by as many as 31 points as Atlanta picked up its first win of the season.

It was a rare off shooting night for Lillard, who had scored in double figures in 79 straight games, the second-longest streak of his career (230 straight from 2016-19). He was held scoreless at halftime for the first time since 2020.

«I know how good he is,» said Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who finished with 26 points and 11 rebounds. «At the end of the day, we need him to keep shooting, we need him to keep on being great.