Damian Lillard has scored 39 points in his first game with his new team and Milwaukee regrouped after blowing a 19-point lead to open their season by beating Philadelphia 118-117.

The former Portland Trail Blazers star set a record for the most points by a player in his Bucks debut on Thursday night.

Giannis Antetokounmpo added 23 points and 13 rebounds while shooting 10 of 22 from the floor to become the franchise’s career leader in baskets. Antetokounmpo has 5905 career field goals, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made 5902 baskets with Milwaukee from 1969-75.

Lillard put the hosts ahead for good 105-104 by sinking a three-pointer with 3:41 remaining.

His basket started an 11-0 run that gave the Bucks a nine-point lead with 2:45 remaining. The 76ers scored seven straight points to get the margin down to two, but Lillard answered by sinking another triple with 1:13 left.

Lillard made all 17 of his free-throw attempts in his first game in green after spending 11 seasons in Portland. He requested a trade in the off-season and landed in Milwaukee, who gave up two-time All-Star Jrue Holiday, Grayson Allen and plenty of draft capital to land the seven-time All-NBA guard.

The game also marked the head coaching debut of the Bucks’ Adrian Griffin, who was facing his former boss. Griffin spent the last five seasons as an assistant coach on a Toronto Raptors staff headed by Nick Nurse, who now coaches Philadelphia.

The 76ers were playing without seven-time All-NBA guard James Harden. The 2018 MVP, hoping to be traded, arrived late to training camp and said before the season that his fractured relationship with team president Daryl Morey couldn’t be repaired.

In his absence, Tyrese Maxey scored 31 points, Kelly Oubre Jr. had 27 and reigning MVP Joel Embiid 24.