'What Y'all Brought Me Here For': How Damian Lillard Proved His Worth in 2 Vastly Different Halves

Breaking a franchise record in one half was the highlight of Damian Lillard's performance in Game 1 against the Indiana Pacers, and even with two extremes of scoring in two halves played, he proved his worth in Milwaukee in its win.

Three Indiana Pacers trotted back to their end of the court while the first-quarter game clock wound down. Two were already there, and five Milwaukee Bucks were on their way.

There was only 11 seconds left until the end of the first period of the first game of the first round, and already the Pacers found themselves down by eight points to the Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Bucks. Their one goal?

To keep it that way.

Aaron Nesmith kickstarted the communication for the possession, throwing his hand in the air and pointing to the other end of the court where the Bucks were fast-approaching. Indiana had just missed a 3-pointer of its own to give the ball to Malik Beasley and after a quick pass, Damian Lillard.

The Bucks star was shouldering the load for his team, already with 16 points in a game he knew was a must-win without Antetokounmpo, and made his intentions clear. As he neared the half court line, a screen from Bobby Portis came from his right, but was quickly waved off.

Suddenly, Nesmith's early warning made sense. He and the rest of the Pacers knew that Lillard was to take the final shot in typical "Dame Time" fashion. They knew it was going to be a deep 3-pointer regardless of who was guarding him. But there was one key aspect they didn't quite know.

Lillard was not going to be stopped.

As he waited for the clock to reach its final seconds, he dribbled in a three-point stance. His defender, T.J. McConnell, wasn't inept in the slightest. In fact, he was an NBA record holder for steals in a half.

Even he sensed what was happening, however. Lillard just had to make it.

As the Bucks star stepped back into his shot, it cleared the rim with no interference. The buzzer sounded, the net swished and Fiserv Forum erupted. All of a sudden, Indiana was down by 11 points, Lillard had 19 and the Bucks had every ounce of momentum. It was a picturesque scenario.

Apr 21, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) reacts with center Brook Lopez.

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

"This is what y'all brought me here for," Lillard exclaimed as he returned to his team's bench from way beyond the arc. He was right. The Bucks needed a push to get themselves into contention for another NBA title after two seasons of falling short following their win in 2021. So, in came Lillard.

The dynamic duo that formed between him and Antetokounmpo was one expected to change the league's landscape, and considering the coaching change Milwaukee made midway through the season, securing the No. 3 seed amid organizational struggles was a testament to the duo's talent.

But, even with Antetokounmpo out, the Bucks still got the job done. It took two extremely different halves of play, but it worked. Milwaukee took Game 1 without the Greek Freak.

That was thanks to Lillard.

Half 1: A Franchise Record

The first basket Lillard scored was a driving layup with just under nine minutes left in the first.

After splitting a pair of defenders en route to the glass on the left side, Lillard went up and his shot went down, starting what would become an explosive half for him as both teams began the early-game back-and-forth typical in the postseason.

But as far as Lillard was concerned, whether he was getting his points from beyond the arc or up close, his mindset would remain the same.

"I knew coming in that they were going to give me a lot of attention," the Bucks star said following his team's victory. "Other times we've played them, I remembered them face-guarding me."

Jan 3, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) dribbles the ball.

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So, expecting a face-guard or something similar, Lillard knew the key to making a difference — especially with Antetokounmpo out — would be to be aggressive and start fast.

"Games are hard enough," Lillard said. "So you don't want to come out slow and wait. You want to have your pace, you want to be sharp and be connected and be aggressive. So that was my mentality."

When Lillard's 19th point of the half fell through at the same time as the buzzer sounded, the Pacers had seemingly hit their lowest point of the game, and it had only been 12 minutes. Lillard — one of the league's best 3-point shooters — was making his shots. That was never a place any team on the other end wanted to be in, but that Indiana was.

The veteran knocked down three more 3-pointers — all from deep range — and continued to scorch the Pacers' defense. It was a one-man show for Milwaukee, which needed it desperately in order to take an early series lead and buy itself more time for Antetokounmpo to return from injury.

Again, that was exactly what Lillard was brought in to do. And he did it.

Apr 21, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) is greeted by Thanasis Antetokounmpo.

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

"He carried us," Bucks coach Doc Rivers said bluntly. "He was unbelievable ... He’s got (this) prizefighter-like mentality. It’s almost like he’s training for the fight.

"When the bell rings, he seems to be ready.”

If Lillard was waiting for a bell, the first-quarter buzzer seemed to be it. By the end of the first half, he had tallied a franchise-best 35 points in a half to give his Bucks a 27-point lead over the Pacers. The first-half momentum was almost comically on Milwaukee's side as both teams headed to the locker room, and it seemed that Lillard was en route to a potentially historic performance.

So it seemed.

Half 2: Slowing Down A Star

Damian Lillard didn't score another point.

While true that he didn't need to be as urgent about his points — the Pacers only came within 12 points of the Bucks the entire second half — he also wasn't getting the opportunities he had in the first half. Part of that came from the eventual cool-down that follows a hot streak.

But part of it was coach Rick Carlisle's defensive strategy.

“When you have one superstar out, you’re just getting a much bigger dose of the other superstar,” Carlisle explained postgame, referring to Antetokounmpo's absence. “It’s not that big a bargain, really."

Apr 21, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle reacts in Game 1 against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Carlisle talked big. He and his team entered their first matchup against Milwaukee knowing that it would be without Antetokounmpo. They knew that Lillard was the biggest threat on the floor.

So why did they still allow him to score 35 points in two quarters?

“They looked like the experienced team," Carlisle admitted. "And we looked inexperienced."

That was the piece that ultimately sealed the fate of the Pacers. They had a game plan and were prepared to execute it, but as big as Carlisle talked, Lillard performed. He took over.

“The guy was making some crazy shots,” Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton said. “He’s a hell of a player. There’s definitely some stuff we could do better, and I thought we did do it better in the second half.”

That they did. Triple-teaming Lillard when he had the ball was an obvious adjustment that — despite the score disparity — worked to slow him down. Lillard didn't score again.

But the damage was already done.

“It was crazy, just picking him up full-court, denying him,” Portis said. “I think that’s mad respect, for real, for real, though, just to deny someone the ball and not let him get it.”

Apr 21, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) and Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0).

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

While no blame is being placed on Lillard for his inability to score in the latter half — he was the reason for the 27-point lead, after all — there are some harsher critics who might say otherwise, including Lillard himself.

“I don’t think that it’s all on me, but I know that I’ve got to be a little bit more aggressive and I’ve got to step forward a little bit more assertively,” he said.

But, despite the swift change in production from one half to the other, Lillard accomplished his first task. He knew he'd be getting the attention right away, but delivered anyways. He not only showed his personal talent when push comes to shove, but also his place in Milwaukee. He proved his worth.

That he belongs.

And now, with all eyes on him ahead of Game 2 and what could be another explosive performance, he's ready to keep the Bucks' bus rolling.

“In the playoffs … it’s about setting a tone," Lillard explained. "We’re going to see this team a lot of times, and you want to establish yourself, especially on your home floor.”

The Pacers will get another shot at the Bucks on the road for Game 2 at FIserv Forum Tuesday evening, with a chance to tie the series heading back to Indiana.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CST.