Damian Lillard put on a show in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers, scoring 35 points. His staggering performance helped the Milwaukee Bucks get to a 109-94 win at the Fiserv Forum. The eight-time All-Star was on fire right from the tip-off, as he scored 19 points in the first quarter and made things extremely tough for the Pacers. He added 16 more points to his tally to finish the first half with 35 points.
Although he did not have a similar impact in the second half, the Milwaukee Bucks were able to comfortably see off the Pacers. With Giannis Antetokounmpo out, many were expecting the Pacers to come out victorious in this game. However, Damian Lillard showcased his brilliance and led the Bucks to a win at home.
Giannis’ injury is expected to keep him out for a few more games. His absence will certainly be felt as he is one of the most dominant players in the game. The two-man game between Dame and Giannis could be lethal in the postseason and the Bucks could use that against teams with a weak defense like the Pacers. However, with the Greek Freak out, the team will have to depend on Damian Lillard to help them make a deep playoff run.
Can Damian Lillard overcome his regular season hiccups and be the Bucks’ saviour in the playoffs?
Damian Lillard’s trade to the Milwaukee Bucks raised a lot of questions as it involved Jrue Holiday leaving the team. Holiday is one of the best defenders in the league and he helped the Bucks win their first championship. However, the Bucks were confident about the trade as they wanted someone who could support Giannis on the offensive end.
Damian Lillard put on a show in his first game as a Milwaukee Buck as he scored 39 points to lead the team to a win against the Philadelphia 76ers. This was expected to be the start of great things for the team, but that was not the case as things started to go downhill as the season progressed. Although the Bucks looked good they were having troubles on the defensive end. Despite their 30-13 start, the franchise fired head coach Adrian Griffin due to some internal problems.
Doc Rivers took over as the team’s head coach midway through the season and took some time to figure things out. While all of this was happening, Damian Lillard struggled to deliver as per his expected standards. Although the Bucks finished as the third seed with 49 wins, Dame did not seem like his usual self.
He averaged 25.1 PPG, but shot 42.4% from the field and 35.4% from three-point range. Both of these shooting averages are among the worst for him in his NBA career. Lillard is one of the best scorers and getting buckets is something that he can do easily. However, this season it has not come easy for Damian Lillard and the point guard has confirmed that this is due to some off-the-court problems that he is going through.
Dame Time will have to reign supreme in the playoffs
Damian Lillard’s ability in the clutch is known to all. The 33-year-old has some of the best game-winners in the playoffs and knows what it’s like to be in big-game situations. With Giannis Antetokounmpo out, the Bucks will have to face some adversity in the postseason as a lot of their gameplan revolves around him. But with Dame on the roster, coach Doc Rivers can certainly see this series through and give some time to Giannis to return his best and help the Bucks.
