Milwaukee Bucks' superstar duo records unheard of feat in clutch win over LA Clippers

Coming off crushing losses to the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers, it was not overly controversial to say that the Milwaukee Bucks needed a win on Sunday.

Visiting the LA Clippers, who were without both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, this was a contest where the Bucks needed to come out locked in from the opening tip. A loss to such a shorthanded squad without many vital pieces on the second game of a back-to-back would have been abysmal.

Early, Milwaukee was not able to utilize the rest advantage, as they went toe-to-toe with LA for a good portion of the matchup. There were 28 lead changes between these two squads, but once the Bucks grabbed it midway through the fourth, they never surrendered it again.

After a hectic 48 minutes, the Bucks secured a 124-117 victory, getting a much-needed win.

Milwaukee Bucks' superstar duo records unheard of feat in clutch win over LA Clippers

Milwaukee's top tandem was clicking in this one, particularly in the final frame. Damian Lillard found a groove late, scoring 16 points over the last 12 minutes. He hit a handful of jumpers down the stretch, showing off that well-documented range he possesses. In total, Lillard finished with 35 points and 11 assists, sinking seven 3-pointers and hauling in seven rebounds.

Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 34 points, 10 assists, seven boards, and a block and steal each, stuffing the stat sheet with a little bit of everything in this game. In the fourth, the Greek Freak logged nine points, shooting 3-of-4 from the floor and the exact mark at the foul line. His biggest shot of the game came with just over five minutes to go, sinking a tough mid-range jumper to build the lead.

With these stat lines, Antetokounmpo and Lillard became the first duo to tally at least 20 points and dish out at least 10 assists in back-to-back games. Despite the close defeat to the Lakers, these two have been surgical over these past two games, showcasing both their scoring and passing prowess. They've now made history as Antetokounmpo and Lillard continue to build their chemistry.

Elsewhere, Malik Beasley gave the Bucks a boost, scoring 17 points and knocking down four threes. Over his past few games, the guard had been in a sizeable slump, so it was great to see him come out and sink shots with confidence while also playing strong defense. The Bucks will need him to play this brand of basketball down the stretch.

Patrick Beverley made his presence felt with a do-it-all performance, stuffing the stat sheet with five points, four rebounds, two steals, a block and an assist. Antetokounmpo got honest about Beverley following the game, talking about the difference between playing against the guard and having him in the locker room with him. Seems safe to say that he's made a strong impression in Milwaukee.

On the other side of the court, the Bucks did a good job of limiting James Harden, who finished with 13 points on 16 shot attempts. Norman Powell, who typically sees blood in the water when he plays against the Bucks, had 26 points to lead the way for LA, but he shot just 3-of-14 on his triple tries off of the Clippers' bench.

Ultimately, this was a solid win for the Bucks, who needed to handle business against a squad missing several key cogs available.

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