For more than a decade, Damian Lillard gave everything to the Portland Trail Blazers. Even if things didn’t end well, he should be considered one of the best players in franchise history, an icon, and a fan favorite until the end of time.
That’s why every time he faces the Blazers is going to be a major talking point, and by no means just another regular season contest for him. That was evident on Sunday afternoon when he put up 31 points to uplift the Milwaukee Bucks past his former team.
Needless to say, going against them was a bit of a bizarre feeling for Lillard, who admitted he felt a little weird at first. Even so, he was able to shake things off and help his team get a much-needed triumph.
Lillard Felt A Little Weird
“Once I walked in, I saw a lot of familiar faces; I thought about going in the visitors locker room for a second, but I was like, man, this a little bit different,” Lillard said. “When we got on the court, I saw everybody, and it’s a weird feeling. But once we started playing, I got over it quick.”
Damian Lillard
Lillard requested a trade out of Rip City in the offseason. The team failed to put together a competitive squad around him, and their decision to draft PG Scoot Henderson with the No. 2 pick pretty much sealed Lillard’s exit after 11 seasons, 769 games, and seven All-Star nods.
Giannis Has Faith On His Team
The Bucks didn’t get off to a strong start of the season, struggling mightily on the defensive end of the floor and losing games they were supposed to win. Of course, their defense would take a hit without Jrue Holiday, but it was still a worrisome trend.
However, they’ve straightened the course as of late, and Giannis Antetokounmpo believes it’s just a matter of time before he and his new star teammate find their groove together:
“As the season moves forward, we’re going to figure out ways to play with one another,” Antetokounmpo said. “Be more effective, be more efficient with one another, know one another’s spots. We are getting to that point. We are really getting to that point.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard
Per the Greek Freak, it’s all about both of them not changing the way they’ve always played and dominated, and he thinks they have the potential to be one of the best duos in the league:
“At the end of the day, Dame has to be Dame. I have to be me,” Giannis said. “As the games go on, we’re going to keep on figuring ourselves out. The moment we are clicking on a higher level, it’s going to become even more scary as we move forward.”
see also
Damian Lillard admits to tampering with Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Bucks are now sitting on a 12-5 record, and the third place in the Eastern Conference, and the rest of the league will be in trouble if Lillard and Antetokounmpo combine to average 30+ points per game as they’ve done in their past couple of games.
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