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76ers vs. Bucks Thursday NBA injury report, odds, props: James Harden out; Damian Lillard set at 26.5 points in Milwaukee debut

Damian Lillard makes his Bucks debut vs. 76ers, who will be without James Harden, on Thursday.

Matt Severance

One of the most dynamic All-Star duos in NBA history will be on display for the first time Thursday night when Damian Lillard makes his Bucks debut alongside fellow future Hall of Famer Giannis Antetokounmpo as Milwaukee hosts the Philadelphia 76ers in the season opener for both teams. The Sixers are without All-Star James Harden and are 6-point underdogs on the SportsLine consensus. Click here for model picks.

The 33-year-old Lillard, a seven-time All-Star and seven-time All-NBA pick, averaged a career-high 32.2 points per game last season for Portland. Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP and seven-time All-Star and All-NBA pick, averaged a career-best 31.1 PPG. That makes Lillard and the Greek Freak just the second pair of teammates in NBA history to average at least 30 points in the previous season, joining Elgin Baylor and Jerry West on the 1962-63 Lakers.

Lillard and Antetkounmpo are set at over/under 26.5 and 27.5 points for Thursday, respectively, with Giannis ranking No. 1 in scoring in the league over the past five seasons at 29.2 PPG and Lillard third at 28.5.

Antetokounmpo earlier this summer told the Bucks he wasn't going to sign another extension until he saw the team was committed to winning another title. He surprised everyone by signed a three-year, $186 million extension with Milwaukee on Monday. Clearly, that's the impact of the Lillard trade. Their contracts would now end at the same time.

Giannis certainly had a case to win a third MVP Award last season. He finished third in the voting after positing a career-high scoring average and was second in the NBA in rebounding at 11.8 per game. He averaged 5.7 assists and shot 55.3% from the field. It was just the fourth time ever a player averaged at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and shot a minimum of 50% from the field in a season. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did it once and Wilt Chamberlain did so twice.

After the Bucks disappointed again in the 2023 playoffs, coach Mike Budenholzer was fired despite Milwaukee having the league's best overall record for the past five seasons. The Bucks the best record in three of those campaigns, including in 2022-23. Former Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin now has the job, his first head coaching gig.

Really the only injury question is the third member of the Bucks' Big, former All-Star Khris Middleton. He has dealt with frequent injuries of late and had knee surgery in the offseason. Middleton only played in one preseason game, logging 12 minutes in the Bucks' finale against the Grizzlies. Griffin said that Middleton will take on an increased workload Thursday but likely won't exceed 30 minutes on the floor.

Harden is healthy but unhappy yet again as he tries to force a trade to the Clippers. He finally decided to rejoin the team for practice on Wednesday – The Beard is not stubborn enough to be away for actual games because he wouldn't get paid. The team told Harden to stay in Philly, meaning he will also miss Saturday's game in Toronto. The Sixers' home debut is Sunday vs. Lillard's former Portland team, and Harden might play then.

Philly center Joel Embiid won his first MVP last season and claimed the scoring title for a second year in a row with a career-high 33.1 points per game. He is set at O/U 28.5 points tonight. 

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