Though Welcomed with Open Arms, Bucks Still Lose Lillard Homecoming

Photo Credit: Kenny Yoo, Associated Press Photo

Damian Lillard was welcomed to Portland with open arms. The intensity surrounding his return, however, wasn't enough to propel the Milwaukee Bucks to a win against the Portland Trailblazers. In a tight finish, the Bucks(32-16) lost to the Trailblazers(15-33) by a score of 116-119. Giannis scored the Bucks’ team high with 27, and Anfernee Simons scored a team high of 24 for the Blazers.

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Though Lillard’s 18 points through three quarters made for an underwhelming homecoming, his seven points and three assists in the fourth quarter helped propel the Bucks to a one point lead with 37 seconds on the clock. Lillard’s last assist to Antetokounmpo gave the Bucks the 116-115 advantage, though the Bucks’ execution following that point ultimately cost them the game.

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After Simons flipped the advantage back to Portland with a jumper, the Bucks were forced to resort to fouling after Brook Lopez took an untimely three with eight seconds in the game. Although Lopez statistically was performing at a higher clip from three-point range for the span of the game, it should have been the Bucks’ job to pass the ball to the man who has proven himself in the type of situation the game required as the clock was ticking down.

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After the close loss, the Buck’s sat at 0-2 following the hiring of Doc Rivers. Currently that record is 1-3 under Rivers, though the Bucks still have time to make adjustments before the postseason.Though the daunting record may seem cause for concern for Bucks fans, two of the Bucks’ losses were close ones, with one coming to the defending NBA Champions and one coming in a game known to be filled with intense emotions from players on both sides of the basketball.