For the first time since being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, Lillard and his former Blazers teammates reunited on court on Sunday.
Lillard greets old friends
Although they met as opponents, their respect and camaraderie remained, and Lillard welcomed them on Bucks’ home court with a smile.
Lillard had spent 11 seasons with the Blazers, and he was keen on staying with the team, or, as he put it, even prepared to be “sunk in the ship if they were all going in.”
But as that decision was out of his hands, he was shipped to the Bucks as part of the off-season blockbuster deal, disappointing both Blazers and Heats fans in the process.
Lillard, who stumbled in his first few games, ultimately found his place on his new team and has struck the right balance between giving way to Antetokounmpo and scoring aggressively. However, this didn’t mean that he had forgotten his old friends back in Blazers. Likewise, the team also hadn’t forgotten the player who’d handed them plenty of victories in the past.
On social media, the Blazers greeted Lillard with a simple message: “hello, old friend!”
hello, old friend! #RipCity pic.twitter.com/9K9Id3Rgyr
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) November 26, 2023
Bucks vs Blazers
The two teams spilled onto the court to clash for the first time in the regular season.
Stealth on their movements, the Blazers quickly gained an advantage over the Bucks in the first and second quarters, 68-52, to the surprise of the spectators.
The Blazers had completely owned the game that by the time they got to the fourth quarter, they were up by 26 points, which wasn’t an easy feat considering the Bucks had been dominant themselves this season; their current record before the match had taken place was 11-4.
Unwavering in the face of adversity, the Bucks, especially Antetokounmpo and Lillard, quickly got to work in the little time they had left in the last quarter.
DAMIAN LILLARD STEPS BACK FOR THE TIE 🔥
The Bucks had trailed the Blazers by as many as 26 points 🍿pic.twitter.com/w48aLxmwS9
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 26, 2023
And at 2:58, Lillard finally sealed the tie with the Blazers as he went for a three-point shot, 97-97. The team then took advantage of the confidence that their comeback had given them, scored a few more times, and finished the game with a thrilling 102-108 victory.
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