While Giannis Antetokounmpo was his usual dominant self, Damian Lillard was the biggest star of this year's first NBA Cup elimination game on Tuesday night. He scored 29 points to pair with the Greek Freak's 37 and led the Milwaukee Bucks past the Orlando Magic in the quarterfinal of the in-season tournament. It was no sure thing despite the Magic missing both Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner; Orlando fiercely battled to the final seconds of the 114–109 Milwaukee victory.
Lillard, as is his reputation, shined when his team needed him most. The superstar point guard scored 11 of the Bucks' final 13 points, providing an early-season glimpse of Dame Time and getting the fans at Fiserv Forum on their feet. His biggest bucket came with just over 30 seconds left, a layup through the teeth of the Magic defense to give the Bucks a lead they would not relinquish.
Asked about his stellar fourth quarter takeover after the game, head coach Doc Rivers offered a simple explanation: "That's just Dame being Dame."
Doc Rivers, on this stepback 3 from Damian Lillard:
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) December 11, 2024
"That's just Dame being Dame." https://t.co/qRgOzNSihh
Lillard has certainly had his struggles in Milwaukee but his crunchtime performance has been consistently outstanding, carrying over from his many years in Portland. It serves as no surprise he showed up at the biggest moment in Tuesday's quasi-playoff game.
Dame Time continues in Las Vegas as the Bucks take on the winner of the Atlanta Hawks-New York Knicks grudge match for a spot in the NBA Cup Final.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Doc Rivers Offered Simple Five-Word Description of Damian Lillard's NBA Cup Takeover .
