Josh Giddey, Oklahoma City Thunder vs Milwaukee Bucks preseason, scores, results, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damien Lillard, reaction

Josh Giddey and the Oklahoma City Thunder are gaining momentum for the start of the NBA season after beating the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday.

The Thunder took superstar duo Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damien Lillard to earn a 124-101 preseason victory.

Giddey recorded a team-high 19 points with seven rebounds and five assists in just 24 minutes.

The Australian, entering his third year in the NBA, was aggressive throughout the match, scoring regularly inside.

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Chet Holmgren, the No. 2 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, finished with 18 points in 25 minutes and earned one of the night’s highlights with a block on Lillard.

This characterizes the Thunder’s defensive effort which held the Bucks to 39.1% shooting from the floor.

“I thought tonight was a good step forward (defensively),” said head coach Mark Daigneault. “A lot of progress on that side of the field. It seemed like we knew what we were doing within our regular programs.

This dedication on defense limited Antetokounmpo and Lillard to just 23 points. It was a frustrating night for Lillard, who joined the Bucks in a blockbuster offseason trade and is in the middle of a four-year, $US176 million ($A275 million) deal.

He recorded just five points on two of eleven shooting in a miserable night for the All-Star.

“They obviously want to play with Dame and Giannis,” Giddey said after the game.

“I think if you can push them away and force the other guys to beat you, it makes things difficult for this team. We did a tremendous job defensively tonight.

Three-point percentage was an Achilles heel for the Thunder last season, ranking 18th in the league from beyond the arc (35.5%). A renewed focus on ball movement appears to be having an impact with the Thunder going 18 of 39 against the Bucks to raise their preseason percentage to 37.6 percent.

Speaking after the match, Giddey praised the team’s selfless culture.

“I think the best part of our team is having to make sacrifices,” he said.

“Some nights we won’t have the ball as much as others and we’re really lucky.

“It might be easy for guys to get upset and say they want the ball more, but luckily we have a group that understands.

“Specifically, going back to our starting group, we are all good with the ball in hand. So we make the right play, make the extra pass and we understand that this team is going to look great if we all buy into what we’re trying to do and continue to be unselfish, make the right play and that’s what guys do . .

The Thunder will play another preseason game against the Detroit Pistons on Friday.

SHEET MUSIC

Bucks 101, Thunder 124

Knicks 110, Celtics 123

Maccabi Ra’anana 111, Timberwolves 128

Pelicans 104, Magic 92

Raptors 106, Bulls 102

Nuggets 103, Clippers 116