Upon Raptors eruption, Damian Lillard taking it one step at a time to rediscover magic touch

Without Giannis, a rejuvenated Dame rose to completely banish the Raptors to dust.
© Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

When it mattered the most, Milwaukee’s clock on the wall just immediately chimes for Dame Time.

Without Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard urgently wore his cape and led the Milwaukee Bucks in a high-powered offensive show en route to a 128-112 demolition against the Toronto Raptors. Lillard showcased a spectacular offensive masterclass and finished with 37 points (15-16 free throws) and 13 assists to pound the Raps and avenge their initial defeat early this month on the same Scotiabank Arena court.

Ready from the tip, taking it slowly

It has been a slow and grinding process, but Lillard understands that he has to keep his patience intact.

Before landing in Toronto on Wednesday, there had been questions about his offensive capabilities and whether the Bucks made the right decision to push the button to acquire him. Dame was averaging just 22.8 points in an uncharacteristic career-low 37% shooting from the field. But with Giannis out for the first time this season, Lillard can only fully cherish the spotlight and still prove how deadly he is.

As a result, it gave him his best game thus far this regular season. Numbers indeed don’t lie, as Damian just became the first player in Bucks history to score 35+ points and assist on 35+ points in the same game.

“I think the situation just was right for it,” Lillard said in postgame about his sudden explosion. “With Giannis [Antetokounmpo] not playing, I knew I would have more responsibility. I knew I’d have to be more aggressive and kind of assert myself from a playmaking and scoring standpoint. Last time we came here, they kind of blitzed us to start the game, so I wanted to, from the tip, I wanted to assert myself in that way and just dive right into the game instead of waiting."

"I was able to get it going. I didn’t even feel like I was hot tonight, I just felt in a good rhythm in the game, just getting in the paint, causing guys to pull over, finding the open man, attacking in transition. Guys weren’t in a position to really do a whole lot, so they fouled me a lot, and it just turned into one of those games with a good flow,” Dame added.

Dame Time set to continue rolling?

Lillard superbly channeled his Hall-of-Fame skill sets as a scorer and facilitator to rip the hearts of the Raptors. Perhaps Wednesday’s contest can only be a stepping stone for him to add more jaw-dropping performances and achieve needed redemption to attain his old self.

As the 2023-2024 season remains young in form, Lillard truly has plenty of time to condition himself in this new journey in Milwaukee and win that elusive championship.

“That’s the Dame we all know,” Brook Lopez said. “It was great to see him in a good rhythm, comfortable out there and leading the team. He did a great job leading us offensively and making sure everyone was in their spots, getting people involved, and just being himself.”

The Bucks praise Damian Lillard for carrying the team without Giannis Antetokounmpo


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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.