Dame drops 31 points on the team that drafted him 11 years ago.
Damian Lillard finally got to play against the team that drafted him 11 years ago, and the veteran shooter admitted feeling uneasy in the early part of the contest.
Lillard disclosed it took a while before he got over the “weird feeling” of going up against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday at the Fiserv Forum.
“Once I walked in, I saw a lot of familiar faces, I thought about going in the visitors locker room for a second, but I was like, man, this a little bit different,” said Lillard. “When we got on the court, I saw everybody, and it’s a weird feeling. But once we started playing, I got over it quick.”
that’s love ❤️#RipCity
pic.twitter.com/IdGGKvJuFR— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) November 26, 2023
Lillard torments old team
With Lillard firing in 31 points, the Milwaukee Bucks went on to defeat the Blazers, 108-102, in come-from-behind fashion.
It was the biggest comeback win in the season so far after the Bucks overhauled a 26-point third-quarter deficit. It was also Milwaukee’s largest rally win for over a decade, or since they defeated the Chicago Bulls, 93-92, by erasing a 27-point deficit on November 26th, 2012.
Clutch game from Dame.
31 PTS | 5 REB | 4 AST | 2 STL pic.twitter.com/Dtdvpf4sh2
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) November 26, 2023
A certified scoring machine
With his total output, Lillard became the 15th player in NBA history to score 30 points against 30 different franchises, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
Portland selected Lillard as the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.
Good game, @trailblazers. 🤝
pic.twitter.com/kYpd7nhEvn— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) November 26, 2023
His tenure with the Blazers ended when a major offseason deal sent him to the Bucks in exchange for fellow veteran playmaker Jrue Holiday.
Dame and his former team will meet for the second and final time this season when Milwaukee visits Portland on January 31st next year in what could be an emotional return to the old home turf by the seven-time All-Star.
