Milwaukee Bucks rally past Portland Trail Blazers in Damian Lillard’s first NBA reunion with old team
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Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks driving to the basket during the first half of a game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Fiserv Forum.
PHOTO: AFP
MILWAUKEE – Giannis Antetokounmpo tipped in Bobby Portis’ missed shot with 18.5 seconds left for the go-ahead basket as the Milwaukee Bucks rallied past the visiting Portland Trail Blazers 108-102 on Nov 26 in Damian Lillard’s first game against his old team.
Antetokounmpo scored 33 points and grabbed 16 rebounds while Lillard added 31 points as Milwaukee authored the biggest comeback victory of the season, bouncing back from a 26-point deficit.
Antetokounmpo, the two-time National Basketball Association (NBA) Most Valuable Player, told ESPN: “Sometimes we just make it tough on ourselves. Don’t get me wrong, I think Portland is a very good team – young team, play hard, but we just make it tough.
“We can’t start the game like that. We should not be down 26 and then try to come and win the game. That takes a toll on your body. But at the end of the day, I’m happy we were able to win.”
Lillard, who played 11 seasons in Portland until he was traded to Milwaukee in September, admitted it was “a weird feeling” to take the court against former teammates.
“But once we started playing, I kind of got over it quick,” added Lillard, who added five rebounds and four assists. “I’m just happy we were able to get the win.”
Portland, fuelled by 22 points from Jerami Grant and 18 from Malcolm Brogdon, led 68-52 at half-time and pushed their advantage to 26 points early in the third period.
Lillard’s three-pointer tied it at 97-97 with less than three minutes remaining. It was 102-102 when Antetokounmpo got his hand onto Portis’ missed attempt. A big block from Antetokounmpo on Brogdon and four free-throws from Lillard sealed the victory.
“We’ve been in that situation a few times this season, where our character was tested, our togetherness was tested,” Lillard said. “We showed true again.”
In Boston, a 34-point, nine-rebound performance from Jayson Tatum helped the Celtics improve their home record to 7-0 by beating the Atlanta Hawks 113-103 while in Denver, Nikola Jokic had a season-high 39 points along with 11 rebounds and nine assists as the Nuggets beat the San Antonio Spurs 132-120.
Meanwhile, Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green, banned for five games by the NBA after grabbing Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert in a headlock, on Nov 26 defended his decision to protect a teammate.
Green lost his cool in the opening minutes of a game in San Francisco on Nov 14, after teammate Klay Thompson and the Timberwolves’ Jaden McDaniels got into it and Green saw Gobert try to pull Thompson away.
He flung an arm around Gobert’s neck, dragging him across the court in what officials called a headlock but which could have as easily been called a chokehold.
“Anytime there is a situation and a teammate needs you to come to his defence, I’m going to come to their defence,” Green said as he prepared to return to the court on Nov 28 against the Sacramento Kings. “Especially with someone I’ve been a teammate with for 12 years. That’s more than a teammate, that’s a brother.” REUTERS, AFP
