PORTLAND — Damian Lillard received a heat welcome when the Milwaukee Bucks visited the Portland Path Blazers on Tuesday evening.
Lillard, who spent 11 seasons in Portland and was beloved by followers and the group, was greeted with rousing applause when his identify was introduced earlier than the sport on the Moda Heart.
He was traded to Milwaukee forward of the 2023-24 season. Tuesday’s sport was his second journey with the Bucks to Portland — the primary was final January, a sport that the upstart Blazers received 119-116.
Lillard nonetheless has a house and household in Portland and earlier on Tuesday dropped his son off at college, which he shared in shared by way of an Instagram story. His son wore a Bucks jersey.
“It’s always fun to face Damian especially here at home. It’s always going to be be a big deal, as long as he’s playing,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups mentioned earlier than the sport. “I’m sure he feels the same way. … What he means to the city, and will always mean to the city, will never change.”
Lillard completed with 20 factors within the 125-112 loss to the Blazers. Portland is 3-1 towards the Bucks since buying and selling Lillard.
“As a competitor, I’m never trying to lose, but in this situation, obviously I want to come in here and win,” Lillard mentioned. “But I played for Chauncey, so I know he’s not going to let me have it my way.”
Lillard averaged 32.2 factors in his final season with Portland, turning into simply the seventh NBA participant to attain greater than 70 factors in a sport when he completed with 71 in a sport towards towards the Houston Rockets. However Portland received solely 4 playoff collection in Lillard’s tenure, attending to the Western Convention Finals simply as soon as.
An eight-time All-Star, Lillard is averaging 25.5 factors and seven.3 assists this season with the Bucks. The 2 groups met earlier this month in Milwaukee, with the Blazers successful 105-102.