Damian Lillard's Return Hurts Bucks in Major Way

The Milwaukee Bucks had a rough Game 1, losing 117-98. That led to the team feeling the need to bring Damian Lillard back, coming off a blood clot.

However, Lillard’s return didn’t help much, with the Bucks losing their second consecutive game by a final score of 123-115.

The Bucks improved a bit offensively to keep the game within striking distance, but overall, the defense struggled, especially out of the gate, leading to a 40-point first quarter for the Pacers.

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They never really recovered from that rough first quarter, and went on to lose what was not as close of a game as it appeared by the end.

Lillard played 37 minutes, putting up 14 points on 4-13 shooting and 2-8 from three. He also added seven assists, overall providing some help to Giannis on the offensive end. It is expected he will shake off the rust and shoot better for the rest of the series.

However, the real talking point for Lillard is not his offense. His defense was a bit of an issue, and probably will continue to be an issue in this series. The Pacers have two taller guards who can shoot over Lillard in Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard.

Both guards had great games, with Haliburton putting up 21 points and 12 assists, and Nembhard putting up 17 points and six assists.

The mismatch of Lillard on the defensive end was especially evident early in the game. It may have been Lillard needing some time to get better acclimated in the series, but it also may just be a sign of things to come for the Bucks.

Either way, the return of Lillard likely means the Bucks need to make adjustments. The team never really seemed in a good position to win in either game, despite Lillard returning for Game 2, so Doc Rivers needs to try something different heading back to Milwaukee.

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That starts on the defensive end, with Rivers needing to find a way to stop the Pacers from exposing Lillard on the perimeter.

The only other alternative to Lillard improving on defense is that he needs to be much better on offense. He needs to have a huge game and be more efficient if he is going to be a liability on defense.

This is something that all small guards deal with in the playoffs, and often a reason NBA experts say it isn’t good to build a team around one.

It’s an old and often repeated mantra, but there is a reason many people say defense wins championships.

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