Damian Lillard felt the Milwaukee Bucks proved a point by beating the LA Clippers without star man Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Antetokounmpo sat out the contest with an Achilles problem but the Bucks flourished in his absence with Lillard pouring in 41 points as they hit back to win 113-106.
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It was the Bucks’ sixth win on the spin with this one achieved despite being down by 15 points in the third quarter.
Lillard said: “It just shows who we’re becoming. Nobody talked about who wasn’t playing before the game. That just shows what’s expected, the standard that we’re starting to have, and who we’re becoming as a team.
“We just trusted each other. Defensively, we’ve trusted our communication. We’ve depended on the next guy to do his job, and the same offensively.
“Because our team is seeing the results that we’re getting from playing that way, even when it’s not going our way at points in the game, we trust it. It’s just coming back in our favour.”
Big game Dame.
41 PTS | 4 AST | 4 REB | 4 3PM pic.twitter.com/0LDe64VZp2
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) March 5, 2024
Antetokounmpo, who is averaging 30.8 points per game this season, is a doubt for the Bucks’ trip to Golden State tomorrow night.
He warmed up prior to the Clippers contest before conceding defeat and returning to the locker room.
Coach Doc Rivers said: “It’s been on and off the last two or three games. This morning he actually looked good.”
