The Milwaukee Bucks appear to be finding their rhythm in the NBA. Their latest victory came in dramatic fashion, as Damian Lillard sealed the game with a clutch driving layup, lifting the team to a 5-9 record. After the game, Giannis Antetokounmpo made it clear just how important Lillard is in closing moments.
The game-winning play began with a defensive masterpiece by Antetokounmpo, who blocked Alperen Sengun’s shot with 19.7 seconds remaining and the Rockets leading 100-99. Without hesitation, Antetokounmpo pushed the ball up the court and found Lillard, who drove to the rim for the decisive basket. Giannis was adamant about trusting Lillard in such situations.
“It’s easy for me to say I have the ball, let me go all the way,” Antetokounmpo explained postgame. “But at the end of the day, I’m a leader that wants to win and I want to do the right thing. If Dame is on the floor, I think, personally—as much as a lot of people can say ‘you gotta take it’—no. Dame is a great closer, so you gotta find Dame and you gotta put the ball in his hand to make a decision.”
Reflecting on his late-game defensive stop, Antetokounmpo added, “I don’t know how I got up. I didn’t think I could get it, but I was able to get my fingertips to the ball. I’m happy that VanVleet did not slip this time, and I was able to help my team get a stop.”
The block and the bucket. This angle of the game-winning sequence.
Lillard on thriving under pressure
Damian Lillard, no stranger to late-game heroics, shared his thoughts on the pressure of being a closer and how his experience helps in these moments.
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“It comes down to I’ve experienced these moments a lot,” Lillard said after the game. “Not just the last play of the game, but being aggressive and attacking. The shot’s not falling, but the game is still close. I know what’s expected of me on this team—not necessarily to always make the big shot—but to be in attack mode. Especially in a game like this.”
Brook Lopez on Lillard’s closing ability
Brook Lopez, who led the Bucks in scoring during the win, also praised Lillard’s composure in crunch-time situations. “How many other guys would you want rather than Dame in that situation, handling the ball and making decisions?” Lopez said.
“We’re blessed to be in that situation,” he continued. “We’ve got a lot of people that contributed all night to get us there, and to have a guy like that to be able to take us home, we’re in a great place.”
