(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Damian Lillard and the Milwaukee Bucks have been through a lot this season.
They’ve been doubted, laughed out, criticized, and counted out.
That’s why the former Portland Trail Blazers star wanted to make a statement out of the gate in his playoff debut for his new team, especially considering that he would have to do most of the heavy lifting without Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Lillard dominated right out of the gate, putting up 35 points with six three-pointers in the first half alone to lead his team to a 27-point lead.
With that in mind, coach Doc Rivers lauded his mentality and confidence after the game, praising him for how he was determined to carry his team to a win (Via NBA).
“His confidence is literally unshakeable…”
Coach Doc Rivers applauds Damian Lillard’s mentality as a player pic.twitter.com/LsmGdDdHAy
— NBA (@NBA) April 22, 2024
Lillard went scoreless in the second half.
He didn’t need to be that aggressive with his team up by double digits throughout the course of the entire matchup.
The Bucks did an outstanding job of smothering Tyrese Haliburton, with Patrick Beverley hounding him all over the court, and preventing him from being a factor with his scoring or his passing.
The Pacers got the best of Milwaukee more often than not this season.
They beat them in the In-Season Tournament semifinal and then got into a bit of a scuffle in the regular-season, so there’s clearly some bad blood here.
With Giannis set to miss some more time with an injured calf, it’ll be up to Lillard to make sure his team doesn’t get sent back home in the first round.
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