SUMMARY
- Damian Lillard led the Bucks to an astounding win against the Pacers without Giannis Antetokounmpo.
- The 8x NBA All-Star believes the Bucks need to pay more attention to detail to up their defensive presence.
Damian Lillard came out with blazing guns against the Indiana Pacers in Game 1, making it seem like the championship truly belongs to him. Acquiring a victory a dominant 94-109 victory will be a huge confidence booster for the Bucks moving ahead into the series. Sources claim that Milwaukee is expected to play a couple of games without Giannis Antetokounmpo, their biggest star.
The 2021 NBA Champion injured his left calf ahead of the end of the regular season. It was claimed that the calf strain he endured didn’t heal enough to clear him for round one of the playoffs. However, Damian is capable of filling in for Antetokounmpo who averaged 30.4 points per game. But their defensive struggles could only get worse while the former Defensive Player of the Year recovers.
Damian Lillard addresses the Bucks’ struggles on defense during the regular season
After blasting off for 35 points in the first half of the Bucks vs Pacers game, Damian Lillard went scoreless during the second half. However, Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis stepped up and scored 38 points together. Lillard addressed the possible defensive setbacks they’ll face during the series in Giannis’ absence by highlighting key differences between the regular season and playoffs.
He said, “In the regular season I think it’s just different. You’re coming off a back-to-back or you got another opponent in a day. You’re going city to city and then the playoffs is you focus on one team. I think it’s a lot more attention to detail. A lot more paying attention to personnel and tendencies and things like that… If you have some pride and some care about it, you go out here and put your best foot forward. ”
Playing strong defense against Tyrese Haliburton was a key factor in their success. The Pacers had the best offense this season averaging 123.3 points per game. Haliburton is a key contributor to their scoring as he averaged 20.1 points and 10.9 assists while shooting 36.4% on 7.6 attempts from deep per game.
Doc Rivers applauds Damian Lillard’s confidence and mentality
It was Damian Lillard’s early efforts on offense that set the pace for the rest of the game. He scored 19 points during the first quarter and nearly outscored the Pacers during the first half by himself. Doc Rivers had all praise for the 8x NBA All-Star as he said, “His confidence is literally unshakable. You know, it’s funny he loves boxing. That’s where we kinda connect.”
“His confidence is literally unshakeable…”
Coach Doc Rivers applauds Damian Lillard’s mentality as a player 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/LsmGdDdHAy
— NBA (@NBA) April 22, 2024
He added, “Cause I grew up with boxing and it was good that I was right yesterday. He took Haney, I took Garcia. Clearly, I knew more about boxing. But he’s got that price fighter-like mentality. It was almost like he was training for the fight. And then when the bell rings, he seems to be ready. That’s just his mentality and that’s how he plays.” However, Lillard’s hot streak needs to stand the test of time since the Pacers will run the tapes and read his counters. Game 2 could see a stronger and more determined offense from Indiana.