Damian Lillard introduces himself with 39-point Bucks debut in win over Sixers

Dame Time has officially arrived for the Milwaukee Bucks.

One month after the blockbuster trade that ended his Portland Trail Blazers tenure, Damian Lillard posted 39 points on 9-of-20 shooting (4-for-12 from deep), eight rebounds, four assists and zero turnovers in his Bucks debut on Thursday, leading the team to a 118-117 win over the Philadelphia 76ers to open the season.

The performance broke a record for most points in a Bucks debut.

The seven-time All-Star shined brightest down the stretch, scoring the Bucks' final 11 points, including a big-time 3-pointer to put them up five with about a minute left. Lillard was also a perfect 17-for-17 from the free-throw line, adding his final two to put the game away with 12 seconds left.

And here's a massive and-1 from about a minute and a half earlier.

The Bucks acquired Lillard last month in a three-team trade with the Blazers and Phoenix Suns. Lillard went to Milwaukee while Jrue Holiday, Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara and draft capital went to the Blazers. The Suns landed depth in Grayson Allen, Jusuf Nurkić, Nassir Little and Keon Johnson.

The reasons for the trade were pretty clear. Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, a noted fan of Lillard's, made it pretty clear he was looking for something from the franchise before signing an extension. The Bucks made the move, and Antetokounmpo signed a three-year, $186 million extension in the aftermath.

It's now a dynamic duo in Milwaukee, backed up by a few members of the supporting cast that won an NBA championship in 2021. Antetokounmpo finished Thursday's game with 23 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals.

The Bucks will get their next chance to show off the new team on Sunday against the Atlanta Hawks.