Damian Lillard’s former team tarnished his grand homecoming.
Anfernee Simons scored 24 points, including a crucial jumper with 17.1 seconds remaining, as the Portland Trail Blazers defeated Lillard and the Milwaukee Bucks 119-116 on Wednesday night.
Lillard scored 25 points for the Bucks in their second consecutive loss under new coach Doc Rivers. Giannis Antetokounmpo tallied 27 points and eight rebounds.
It was Lillard’s first game in Portland after being dealt to the Bucks in the offseason. For his first 11 NBA seasons, Lillard was the Blazers’ fan favorite.
“It was a fun night, celebrating a great player, a great person,” added Simons. “We came in here as if we, too, had goals to accomplish. We came in hoping to win the game.
Blazers coach Chauncey Billups stated that the situation was not too big for the youthful Blazers.
“It felt like just a big, big character win for us,” said Billups. “A culture win for us.”
The Blazers retained a slim lead at halftime and kept it tight in the third quarter, eventually leading 86-81 on Matisse Thybulle’s 3-pointer. Simons scored a jumper to give Portland a 96-61 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
Malcolm Brogdon made a three-pointer, extending Portland’s lead to 101-91. Lillard’s three-pointer cut the Bucks’ lead to 101-95.
Milwaukee pressed Portland down the stretch. Brook Lopez’s three-pointer cut the lead to 113-112, but Portland’s Jerami Grant responded with an off-balance jumper with 2:21 remaining.
Lillard’s layup brought the Bucks within a point again. With 37.2 seconds left, Antetokounmpo put the Bucks ahead via to Lillard’s ally-oop slam. But Simons’ floater returned Portland to the lead.
Brook Lopez missed a three-pointer with 8 seconds left, and Grant converted free throws. The Blazers fouled Antetokounmpo in the waning seconds, and he missed both free throws, giving Portland the victory.
“There were a number of things that could have gone wrong, including a few turnovers. Sometimes with a young team, that might derail things, but we stuck with it,” Simons explained. “We were calm and understood what we wanted to get.”
Deandre Ayton contributed 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Blazers, who have won two straight.
Despite the setback, it was Lillard’s night. The eight-time All-Star received a rousing ovation before the game, and honors were shown on the electronic scoreboard during timeouts. At one point, he seemed brought to tears.
Lillard’s driving layup was Milwaukee’s opening basket of the contest.
“These are challenging games. The host team wants to beat the returning player. “You could see it in their excitement after the game,” Rivers added.
It was just the Bucks’ second game under Rivers. The Denver Nuggets defeated him 113-107 in his debut on Monday night.
Rivers replaced first-year Bucks coach Adrian Griffin, who was fired last week after 43 games and a 30-13 record. While Milwaukee is barely behind Eastern Conference leaders Boston, there are concerns about the Bucks’ declining defensive rating.
Lillard was acquired right before the season began to link up with two-time MVP Antetokounmpo in pursuit of another NBA championship. The Bucks won the championship in 2021.
In Lillard’s absence, the Blazers have prioritized the development of young players. Scoot Henderson, the third overall choice in last year’s draft, scored 15 points in the first half off the bench.
Portland, ranked second to worst in the Western Conference, remained competitive with the Bucks throughout the first half. Simons’ 3-pointer toward the conclusion of the half tied the game at 61, and Portland went into the break up 67-65.
A child in the crowd raised a sign pointed to Lillard that read: “Go get your ring, then come back home.”
“These types of games where there’s a lot of meaning and lot of emotion, these are always fun,” added Lillard. “These games have a little more energy to them. That’s how it was tonight. It was a fun game.
The clubs met earlier this season, and the Bucks won 108-102 in Milwaukee.
