GAME DAY PREVIEW AND INJURY REPORT: The Milwaukee Bucks shoot for a second win versus the Atlanta Hawks

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The Milwaukee Bucks look to make it back-to-back wins when they host the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night at the Fiserv Forum.
Drawing a stellar performance from offseason acquisition Damian Lillard, the Bucks started the season with a hard-earned 118-117 win over the James Harden-less Philadelphia 76ers.
Highlights from last night's season-opening WIN vs. the Sixers.
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) October 27, 2023
⚡️: @we_energies pic.twitter.com/0G8r1CflIF
Dame’s stellar Milwaukee debut
Lillard was superb in his first game in a Bucks uniform as he erupted a game-high 39 points—the most points scored by a debuting player since Terry Cummings had 34 in 1984.
Dame capped his stellar debut by scoring Milwaukee’s final 11 points, helping the Bucks rally from eight points down in the fourth.
The seven-time All-Star went 17-for-17 from the free throw area and also added eight rebounds and four assists with no turnover in 37 minutes of play.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 23 points and 13 rebounds in the win, where he overtook Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most field goals made in the history of the Milwaukee franchise.
Even though he is still under a minutes restriction, Khris Middleton was still able to produce solid numbers as he finished with six points, three rebounds, four assists, and two steals in just 16 minutes of playing time.
The Hawks are off to a dismal start that saw them losing two straight games. Atlanta fell to the Charlotte Hornets on the road, 110-116, and suffered another six-point loss when they bowed to the New York Knicks on their home floor, 110-116.
Next up: We head to Milwaukee on Sunday night
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 28, 2023
Then we're back at home Monday vs. the Timberwolves 🎟️ https://t.co/a82ZdA6PmZ pic.twitter.com/aoyFxn2o1Z
Trae Young is averaging 20.5 points but is shooting just 22.9% from the field in Atlanta’s 0-2 start.
Injury report
Middleton will not play against the Hawks due to right knee injury management, per a report by Jim Owczarski of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Former Buck Wesley Matthews will not play for Atlanta due to a mild right calf strain.
Adrian Griffin talks about Khris Middleton's minutes restriction entering the season

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.