The Milwaukee Bucks are history in Year One with Damian Lillard. Just like last season, they’ve been eliminated from the first round of the NBA playoffs, this time by the Indiana Pacers in six games.
In fairness, the Bucks played the entire series without injured star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who suffered a calf strain on April 9. They also had to play a playoff game without Lillard, who has an Achilles tendon issue.
So that’s it. The Bucks’ season is done. But Lillard has refuted reports that he’s looking to move on.
“I saw somebody say, ‘Dame’s not happy in Milwaukee’ or something like that,” Lillard told NBA reporters. “I know the truth.
“I love the situation that I’m in.”
That was actually before the playoffs. Following a Game 1 loss to the Pacers, he reiterated that stance.
“I moved my life and moved my career and did all of these things that kind of made my life a little bit harder away from basketball for this opportunity,” Lillard said. “Coming into it, in my mind and in my heart, I was like, ‘I can’t come this far without at least trying to put everything into it and put my best foot forward.'”
As for returning to play in the closeout game against Indiana, Lillard said he felt compelled to at least give it a try.
“I don’t think I would have slept well and I don’t think I would have gone into the summer well, if I didn’t at least try,” Lillard said. “I came in for my pregame workout and saw all the gold shirts on the chairs and started moving around and said, ‘Let’s just do it.’”
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