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Dame Time is over in Portland. Any more, it’s Ant Time.
Anfernee Simons hit a go-ahead floater with 17 seconds left to offer Portland the lead of their 119-116 win over Damian Lillard and the Milwaukee Bucks. It was Lillard’s first sport again within the metropolis the place he performed the primary 12 seasons of his profession, however Simons and his teammates spoiled the homecoming.
Lillard scored 25 factors within the loss, after getting a standing ovation from Portland followers, together with two separate tribute movies on the scoreboard. However the fourth-quarter magic he displayed so many instances as a Blazer wasn’t current Wednesday evening, as Lillard missed 5 of his final six photographs to shut the sport.
Nonetheless, it seemed prefer it is likely to be “Dame Time” once more within the ultimate minute. His shot wasn’t falling, so Lillard drove for a dunk to chop Portland’s lead to a degree with 1:10 remaining, as announcer Mark Jones confusingly declared, “He hit that like a stimulus test!”
That adopted an unimaginable block by Giannis Antetokounmpo on Deandre Ayton to maintain Milwaukee inside three.
The play needed to give Ayton flashbacks to Recreation 4 of the 2021 Finals when Antetokounmpo blocked him in an eerily related method.
Then Lillard discovered Antetokounmpo on a go-ahead alley-oop, and it seemed like Milwaukee would full a comeback from ten factors down. However Simons determined it was to not be.
Portland received massive video games out of a number of gamers they received from buying and selling Lillard. Ayton completed with 20 factors and 11 rebounds, on 10-for-17 taking pictures. Level guard Malcolm Brogdon, acquired when the Blazers flipped Jrue Vacation to Boston, had 14 factors and 6 assists and was +9 in his 36 minutes. They even received 23 minutes of powerful protection out of rookie Toumani Camara, who additionally came visiting within the Lillard deal.
The Path Blazers additionally received 15 factors from rookie Scoot Henderson off the bench, who’s progressively shedding his taking pictures woes by making 50 p.c of his photographs or extra in his final 4 video games. The No. 3 decide was 6-for-11 Wednesday, primarily by attending to the rim repeatedly in opposition to the Bucks.
Lillard requested a commerce after Portland took Henderson, but it surely was his former backcourt companion Simons whose clutch shot – and 24 factors – sunk the Bucks. They nonetheless love Dame Time in Portland, however they love successful much more.
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