Damian Lillard came up big for the Milwaukee Bucks down the stretch as he helped lead a furious comeback bid against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.
Much like the rest of the squad, Lillard got off to a slow start in the game, only for the seven-time All-Star to lead a late-game rally that nearly saw the Bucks mount a mind-blowing comeback against Boston at the TD Garden.
In the end, Dame’s heroics proved futile. You have to give this man credit for his clutch plays on both ends late in the game but ultimately, the Celtics were able to hold on to secure a 119-116 win.
At the end of the day, that’s all that matters. Boston logged their 12th win of the season to remain atop the Eastern Conference, while the Bucks go home with another L.
“We were fighting to make it a game, and then once we did, you usually don’t get over the hump like that,” said Lillard, via Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “They played a game that they deserved to win, and we didn’t.”
The Celtics were up by as much as 21 points in the first half. The Bucks put in a commendable effort after the break as they brought the lead down to as close as three points. That was the extent of their botched comeback attempt, though.
As Dame said, Milwaukee ultimately fell short. It’s as if they ran out of steam in the end — a notion that was embodied by Lillard’s missed wide-open dunk in the dying seconds of the game:
The Bucks will now need to regroup quickly as they head back home to host the Washington Wizards on Friday night.