Damian Lillard Struggles on Return as Bucks Drop Game 2
The Milwaukee Bucks’ hopes of evening their first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers were dashed on Tuesday night as they suffered a 123-115 defeat in Game 2. According to ESPN, the team’s struggles were compounded by the return of All-Star guard Damian Lillard, who had been sidelined for a month due to a health scare.
Lillard, who had been out with deep vein thrombosis in his right calf, made a surprise return to the team on Tuesday morning, telling coach Doc Rivers that he was ready to play. As reported by ESPN, Rivers didn’t argue, with his team down 1-0 in the series. Lillard finished the game with 14 points on 4-of-13 shooting, playing 37 minutes.
"It felt pretty good, given the fact that I haven’t played in so long," Lillard said, as quoted by ESPN. "Jumping back into a playoff game, I’d say it felt pretty good. I felt pretty solid." However, it was clear that Lillard wasn’t himself, lacking the explosiveness that has become a hallmark of his game.
The blood-clotting disorder that kept Lillard sidelined usually keeps players out for months, not weeks, and Rivers had feared that the ailment was more serious than initially thought. As ESPN reported, Lillard even opted to take extra time to get his body back in shape for the rigors of the postseason.
Despite his valiant effort, Lillard’s fatigue became apparent in the second half, where he shot just 1-of-7 from the field and 1-of-6 on 3-pointers. "I got a little winded, but I think everyone got a little winded," Lillard said, as reported by ESPN. "I wasn’t really thinking about if I was tired, it was just like I’m out here and I’ve got to do what I got to do."
Rivers had planned to monitor Lillard’s health during the game, and had told reporters before the game that he would pull Lillard out if he noticed fatigue. However, when the Bucks needed a late push to get within striking distance of evening the series, Rivers thought it was better to keep his nine-time All-Star on the court. "Down the stretch I just kept him in," Rivers said, as quoted by ESPN. "I used it sort of as conditioning. He was exhausted and I saw that, and I thought, ‘Just let him blow it because we’ve got two days to recover.’"
The Bucks now face a tough task to protect their home court and claw their way back into the series. Lillard averaged 18.3 points, 9.3 assists, and 5.5 rebounds against the Pacers this season, and will be crucial to the team’s chances of advancing. Two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has been impressive in the series, scoring 36 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in Game 1, and following that with 34 points, 18 rebounds, and 7 assists in Game 2.
As the series shifts to Milwaukee for Game 3 on Friday, the Bucks will be hoping that Lillard can regain his form and help the team get back into the series. "The biggest question for us is the recovery," Rivers said, as reported by ESPN. "The trick is trying not to get him into that point of exhaustion because then it’s hard to come back. So that’s the trick we were doing tonight."
