Bucks Zone

Damian Lillard talks about the success that Milwaukee is enjoying when playing at home

The Bucks have become almost unbeatable at the Fiserv Forum this season.

Matthew Dugandzic

© Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
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The Milwaukee Bucks have been humming at home, picking up one win after another that put them in the thick of things in the fight for the best record in the Eastern Conference.

Milwaukee is currently 15-2 at the Fiserv Forum. It has won its last 14 home games, and its final loss against a visiting team was way back on October 29th when it lost to the Atlanta Hawks, 110-127.

Damian Lillard admits it is always favorable when playing at home.

“I think teams naturally play with more confidence and with better pace at home. The crowd is on your side. On the road, when the team makes a shot, it feels like the end of the world sometimes; you need to call a timeout,” Lillard said.

Home crowd is a confidence booster

Not all teams perform well at home, but for Dame, Milwaukee has the pieces that make the games more electrifying and get the home crowd into it.

“And I think on our home floor, there’s just so much to cheer. Giannis (Antetokounmpo) is dunking, and BP (Bobby Portis Jr.) gets into a fight, and the crowd starts going crazy. It’s just so much to cheer for, and it’s just a lot of energy in the building, and when you feel that, it’s like a sense of urgency,” Damian said.

Lillard said it is advantageous that the Bucks have a raucous home crowd that always shows up. Dame also added that when a considerable crowd is egging them on, Milwaukee draws strength from them and motivates the team to perform at a high level.

“It’s a sense of pride and wanting to get it done. I think it actually makes a difference for us to protect our home floor just because of the environment that it is,” Lillard said.

Taking advantage of home games

The only Eastern Conference team with a better home game record than the Bucks is the Boston Celtics, who are 14-0 at the TD Garden this season.

Their solid showing at home is the primary reason that Boston and Milwaukee are one-two in the East team standings. Boston occupies the No. 1 spot in the East with a 21-6 record, while Milwaukee is in second place with a 20-7 record.

The Bucks are on the verge of sweeping a six-game home stand. They won their first five games of the current home stand and are set to host the Orlando Magic on Thursday night. 

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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.