LILLARD GETS HOT TO BEAT THE HEAT

He leads Bucks in the absence of Antetokounmpo as they improve to 3-0 in NBA Cup group play

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WASHINGTON - No Giannis Antetokounmpo, no problem, as there is Damian Lillard. On Nov 26, the point guard scored 37 points to lead Milwaukee to a 106-103 victory at the Miami Heat in the NBA Cup despite playing without Antetokounmpo due to a left knee injury.

Lillard hit 10-of-17 from the floor, including eight-of-13 from three-point range, while passing off 12 assists in their wire-to-wire win. The Bucks improved to 3-0 in group play, while the Heat slid to 1-2.

"It's a game of runs," Lillard said. "I got off to a hot start. I didn't try to force the issue. I didn't want to be passive. I tried to stay aggressive. I was getting the ball out. We just made good plays."

All 30 clubs play for the NBA Cup in an in-season tournament, with teams divided into six groups of five for round-robin play in the hopes of advancing to December knockout rounds. The games also count in the National Basketball Association (NBA) regular-season standings.