Bucks Zone

“It kind of feels like a road game”- Damian Lillard talks about his Bucks debut

Dame is feeling a certain way after playing for a different team.

Matthew Dugandzic

© Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
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Damian Lillard finally made his much-awaited official debut for the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night, and for the seven-time All-Star, it felt like a road game.

Lillard admitted feeling differently when he stepped into the Fiserv Forum where more than 17,000 adoring fans saw him deliver a performance to remember by powering the Bucks to a 118-117 win over the short-handed but hard-fighting Philadelphia Sixers.

“It was definitely different,” Lillard said shortly after he erupted for 39 points that helped the Bucks start the brand-new season on a rousing note.

Change of scenery

“I think I've been in an environment where I come in the arena and know everybody that works in the arena. When I get on the court, I look around and I even recognize the fans that have been there year after year after year. It's just a super, super familiar environment that I'd been in,” added Lillard.

Lillard spent his last 11 years with the Portland Trail Blazers, and he couldn’t help but feel odd in his first game in a Milwaukee uniform.

“And when I come here, it kind of feels like a road game right now. It's like I'm looking around like I'm the new guy, even though I've been in this league a long time,” said Lillard.

Settling in with his new team

Lillard played a team-high 37 minutes in his debut. He made the most out of every minute that he was on the floor as his scoring output was the most points scored by a debuting Milwaukee player since Terry Cummings finished 34 in 1984.

Dame made all of his 17 free throw attempts and scored Milwaukee’s last 11 points that completed the team’s rally from an eight-point deficit in the final six minutes.

Fortunately for Lillard, his new teammates have helped him acclimatize quickly with the new environment.

“I came in here to be a part of winning, and I think I've started to settle in just by how I've been embraced and what the team is saying to me behind closed doors,” said Lillard.

Damian Lillard puts on a show as the Milwaukee Bucks win season-opener vs. the Philadelphia Sixers

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.