The moment it was confirmed that the Milwaukee Bucks were going to be without Giannis Antetokounmpo for Sunday’s series-opener against the Indiana Pacers, you just knew that Damian Lillard was going to have to come up big to lead an undermanned Bucks side to victory in Game 1.
Dame knew exactly what he had to do and he responded in a major way, exploding for a game-high 35 points to lift the Bucks over their testy rivals, 109-94.
Milwaukee Bucks News: Damian Lillard Reveals Mindset Ahead of Incredible Game 1 Performance
The Bucks needed a massive performance from Lillard in this one, and that’s exactly what the eight-time All-Star delivered. He finished with 35 points on 11-of-24 shooting, six boards, three assists, and six triples in 38 minutes of action.
Dame was on a mission in this one and there was just no stopping him from achieving his objective.
“I was just in attack mode,” Lillard told Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “I wasn’t thinking like, ‘Oh, I’m scoring a bunch of points tonight.’ It was just like, win the game. Do what you gotta do. Be assertive. Be in attack mode. And that was it. I’m sure Giannis, Kareem, they both capable of it too, it’s just not easy to do and it doesn’t happen all the time.”
Lillard scored all 35 of his points before the halftime break, which happens to be the new all-time record for the Bucks franchise for most points in a single half. Not even Giannis Antetokounmpo or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar reached these heights, but Dame made sure to give the two Milwaukee icons a bit of a shoutout after his own historic performance.
As unforgettable as his performance might be in Game 1, Lillard, of all people, knows that he will need to move on from this quickly. Game 2 is scheduled for Tuesday night, and you can be sure that the Pacers will be out to get some revenge.
Dame will need to do it all over again — especially with Giannis Antetokounmpo doubtful to play.
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