MILWAUKEE – In the social media age, athletes often downplay their own achievements so as not to sound arrogant and invite widespread criticism by journalists and fans alike.
Not Damian Lillard.
On Dec 19, the Milwaukee guard poured in a season-high 40 points as the Bucks roared out of the gate at home and defeated the short-handed San Antonio Spurs 132-119 in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
By doing so, he increased his career points total to 20,034 and was the 51st person in league history – and eighth active player – to reach 20,000 points.
The other seven are LeBron James, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry, DeMar DeRozan and Chris Paul.
“I don’t want to fake downplay it like it’s nothing,” Lillard said on ESPN. “I know it’s a big deal. It’s a great accomplishment. It’s a rare space to be in.
“And I look at what led up to it. All of the things that I think of in high school, in college and the doubt that I faced over the course of my career, before the NBA – what I wasn’t supposed to be, what I wasn’t supposed to accomplish, and just my mentality through all those things.
“Sometimes you don’t really see the light at the end of the tunnel. You’ve just got to have that faith in yourself.”
Milwaukee have won five straight games while the hapless Spurs dropped their 20th game in the past 21. San Antonio played without rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama (right ankle issue) for just the second time this season.
The Bucks dominated the first seven minutes and never looked back, leading by 13 points at half-time and by 24 late in the third quarter – they were also never seriously challenged in the fourth quarter.
Bobby Portis added 23 points and 10 rebounds for Milwaukee, with Khris Middleton downing 17 points, Brook Lopez scoring 14 and Giannis Antetokounmpo racking up 11 points, 14 rebounds and a season-high 16 assists.
Keldon Johnson led San Antonio (4-22) with 28 points and 12 rebounds. Zach Collins scored 22 points and Devin Vassell 17. Jeremy Sochan came close to a triple-double, with nine points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.
But at the end of the day, only one name mattered and Bucks coach Adrian Griffin was also full of praise for Lillard.
“When you look at Dame, obviously he can shoot the ball,” Griffin said.
“He can stretch the floor. He just puts a lot of pressure on your defence. If you bring your bigs up, he can drive around them. He’s strong enough and physical enough to finish at the rim. He just has no weaknesses on the offensive end.”
Milwaukee’s win moved them to 20-7 in the Eastern Conference, behind the Boston Celtics (20-6), who lost 132-126 to the Golden State Warriors in overtime. REUTERS
