Bucks' Superstar Sensed ’Totally Different’ Sixers on Thursday

On Thursday, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Milwaukee Bucks battled it out for the start of the 2023-2024 NBA season.

Although the two Eastern Conference contenders are common enemies, they both entered Thursday’s matchup with a significantly different look.

On the Bucks’ side, they carried a new coaching staff and slightly different personnel. After the firing of Mike Budenholzer, Milwaukee named former Toronto Raptors assistant coach Adrian Griffin as his replacement. Then, on the court, the Bucks swapped out a two-time All-Star, Jrue Holiday, for a seven-time All-Star in Damian Lillard.

On the other side, the Sixers replaced head coach Doc Rivers with former Raptors head coach Nick Nurse following a three-season stint. And while the 76ers didn’t add another notable star to the mix, they missed the ten-time All-Star James Harden, who stayed back with the organization’s two-way players as he’ll ramp up his conditioning before debuting.

Despite being down the league’s reigning assist leader, the Sixers put up a good fight against the East’s most recent top seed. And in Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo’s eyes, the Sixers’ newly implemented system under Nick Nurse brought a fierce look to the matchup.

“[The intensity], it was very high,” Antetokounmpo said after the game. “I think it was almost like a playoff game. Obviously, season opener, a lot of people are anxious. It’s the first game of the season, and you want to start well. You want to play, and you want to play well.”

The Bucks’ fire burned bright in the first half of Thursday’s game as they got off to a significant lead in the second quarter, going up by as many as 19 points. While the Sixers found themselves falling behind before the half, a late 18-6 run helped them get the game within single digits before the intermission.

When the Sixers came out for the second half, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid matched the offensive energy of the thriving Kelly Oubre to help the Sixers get within a single possession after trailing double digits during the first half of the matchup.

From that point on, it was a back-and-forth brawl.

Offensively, the Sixers received an outburst from Maxey, who put up 18 points in 20 minutes during the second half. Tobias Harris joined in on the action with a perfect 6-6 shooting shift, producing 15 points in 18 minutes. Of course, there was the league’s two-time scoring champion, Joel Embiid, starting to get his numbers as well, as he added 13 points in 19 minutes, with Oubre tacking on 14 points off the bench.

The Sixers’ offense came alive as a whole in the second half, but Antetokounmpo took a liking to their defensive intensity, which held him to 6-15 shooting in his final 18 minutes of the matchup.

“Totally different look from Philadelphia that’s been used in the past,” said the star big man. “They were way more aggressive defensively, showing way more crowd, trap in the pick and roll, showing more help in the post.”

The Bucks’ scoring didn’t halt in the second half just because Antetokounmpo was tamed and Khris Middleton saw limited playing time. With the new addition Damian Lillard pointing at the wrist and proclaiming crunch time his, the star guard maintained a hot scoring matchup, as he accounted for 18 of the Bucks’ 55 second-half points.

Damian Lillard Puts on Scoring Clinic in Debut

Lillard put on a scoring clinic against the Sixers, going just one point shy of 40 in his Bucks debut. While the Bucks nearly collapsed from a 19-point lead in the early stages of the game, they made it out with the victory, putting the 76ers away 118-117.

Milwaukee might’ve picked up victory in the first of three battles between the Sixers and the Bucks on Thursday, but Antetokounmpo paid respect to his opponent as he remains on high alert as the season progresses.

“They were a totally different team than they were last year,” said the two-time MVP. “That was a surprise. Their intensity was high for sure today.”