"This is what y'all brought me here for": Damian Lillard talks the talk to Bucks crowd amid scorching night vs Pacers
Damian Lillard reminded the Milwaukee Bucks' fans at Fiserv Forum of why the team gave up the house to acquire him during Sunday's Game 1 against the Indiana Pacers. Lillard set the tone for Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Bucks with 19 points in the first quarter and 35 in the half to give them a 30-point lead in the first half.
He almost outscored the Pacers, who scored 42 in the opening 24 minutes. After an up-and-down year where consistency has been tough to come by for Lillard, the All-Star guard's banging start to the 2024 NBA Playoffs had the Bucks arena buzzing. Lillard didn't miss the opportunity to engage with the crowd as he looked at the fans and said:
"This is what y'all brought me here for."
The Bucks have faced tremendous criticism this season after acquiring Damian Lillard. They let go key members of their championship run, including Jrue Holiday, to make that deal possible. Holiday joined the Bucks' rivals, the Boston Celtics,
Milwaukee wasn't the same dominant force it was with Lillard in the lineup, especially defensively. The Bucks racked up plenty of wins but never looked like a team that could challenge the C's come playoff time. Lillard's inconsistency received flak for it.
However, a phenomenal start to the 2024 NBA Playoffs against an opponent the Bucks struggled to win against will turn heads on the narrative around Damian Lillard and the Bucks' chances in the postseason.
Bucks fend off giant lead despite Damian Lillard's scoreless second half
The Milwaukee Bucks continued to show their improved defense under coach Doc Rivers during Sunday's mammoth 109-94 win. The eventual scoreline doesn't reflect how dominating the Bucks were, especially in the first half. That's because the Pacers made a late push in the second to get back into the contest.
The final 24 minutes went 52-40 in the Pacers' favor after Damian Lillard went scoreless. However, that didn't impact Milwaukee much, as it kept defending at a high level to maintain the advantage for much of the game.
The Bucks went with a sustainable winning scheme, playing hard on both ends of the floor. They didn't rely as much on the 3-point shooting, going 14-of-37, which is close to their season average. The Bucks also got a significant contribution from Khris Middleton, who returned to the secondary scoring role without Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Meanwhile, Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis held their own without Giannis for most of the game against the Pacers' frontcourt of Myles Turner and Pascal Siakam. The second half saw the latter go off, though. Siakam tallied 36 points and 13 rebounds on 60.0% shooting, which the Bucks must address.