© Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Damian Lillard talks about the success that Milwaukee is enjoying when playing at home
The Milwaukee Bucks have been humming at home, picking up one win after another that put them in the thick of things in the fight for the best record in the Eastern Conference.
Milwaukee is currently 15-2 at the Fiserv Forum. It has won its last 14 home games, and its final loss against a visiting team was way back on October 29th when it lost to the Atlanta Hawks, 110-127.
Damian Lillard admits it is always favorable when playing at home.
“I think teams naturally play with more confidence and with better pace at home. The crowd is on your side. On the road, when the team makes a shot, it feels like the end of the world sometimes; you need to call a timeout,” Lillard said.
Home crowd is a confidence booster
Not all teams perform well at home, but for Dame, Milwaukee has the pieces that make the games more electrifying and get the home crowd into it.
“And I think on our home floor, there’s just so much to cheer. Giannis (Antetokounmpo) is dunking, and BP (Bobby Portis Jr.) gets into a fight, and the crowd starts going crazy. It’s just so much to cheer for, and it’s just a lot of energy in the building, and when you feel that, it’s like a sense of urgency,” Damian said.
Lillard said it is advantageous that the Bucks have a raucous home crowd that always shows up. Dame also added that when a considerable crowd is egging them on, Milwaukee draws strength from them and motivates the team to perform at a high level.
“It’s a sense of pride and wanting to get it done. I think it actually makes a difference for us to protect our home floor just because of the environment that it is,” Lillard said.
Taking advantage of home games
The only Eastern Conference team with a better home game record than the Bucks is the Boston Celtics, who are 14-0 at the TD Garden this season.
Their solid showing at home is the primary reason that Boston and Milwaukee are one-two in the East team standings. Boston occupies the No. 1 spot in the East with a 21-6 record, while Milwaukee is in second place with a 20-7 record.
The Bucks are on the verge of sweeping a six-game home stand. They won their first five games of the current home stand and are set to host the Orlando Magic on Thursday night.
