Watch: Damian Lillard hysterically hits Malik Beasley's shimmy after knocking a 3 in practice
NBA All-Star guard Damian Lillard is busy preparing to help lead the Milwaukee Bucks in their NBA In-Season Tournament semifinal game against the Indiana Pacers on Thursday. But while at it, he is also having fun with his teammates.
On the eve of their all-important game, "Dame" was seen having a light moment with teammate Malik Beasley during a shootaround. The 33-year-old veteran was doing the “shimmy” after hitting corner 3s.
Damian Lillard and the Bucks take on the Pacers at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, in a semifinal game at 5:00 p.m., ET.
Milwaukee has been installed as favorites to win the first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament title heading into the semifinals, with FanDuel placing it at +165, ahead of the LA Lakers (+230), New Orleans Pelicans (+380) and Pacers (+440). The Bucks are also -4 to win over Indiana.
The Bucks have stayed unbeaten so far in the ongoing tournament, sweeping their four assignments in East Group B before punching a ticket to the final four with an emphatic 146-122 victory over the New York Knicks in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.
In their impressive run, Damian Lillard has been leading the way with averages of 29.6 points, 6.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds.
Fellow All-Star and two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is not too far behind with numbers of 30.2 points, 10.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists, making the Bucks all the more a handful for opposing teams.
Damian Lillard says In-Season Tournament has grown on players
While at the start of the first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament players were not outright warm to it, Damian Lillard said the case is now different and the tournament has surely grown on them.
The quality of games as the “tournament within the tournament” progressed is a testament to that, the Milwaukee Bucks All-Star guard said over TNT’s "Inside the NBA" ahead of their quarterfinal game against the New York Knicks on Tuesday:
"’I think it's growing on everybody a little bit more. In the beginning we didn't really know what it was, we just knew that money was on the line. Now it's turned into real entertainment, real competitive basketball. We playing for something,’ said Lillard.”
The Bucks are among the teams left standing, along with the LA Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans and Indiana Pacers. Milwaukee takes on Indiana in one semifinal pairing while the Lakers battle the Pelicans in the other. The games will go down at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The NBA In-Season Tournament is being implemented for the first time this season to add dimension to the league year. The tournament has a similar format to that of in-season European football tournaments and the WNBA Commissioner's Cup.
The winner of the tournament will take home the NBA Cup and $500,000 for each winning player and head coach.