“My relationship to the fans here and the city and the organization, it’s never-ending. I don’t look at this as closure.”
The love affair between Damian Lillard and the city of Portland is real, and it’s not going away, as this Damian Lillard pregame quote shows (hat tip Sean Highkin).
Lillard returned to Portland for the first time in another uniform Wednesday night, wearing the green of the Milwaukee Bucks, where he was traded after he asked out of rebuilding Portland. When he was introduced, the ovation was as loud as ever.
Standing O, for The Letter O pic.twitter.com/24m9x28lCi
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) February 1, 2024
The tribute video played for him was powerful as well.
Welcome back, D.O.L.L.A. pic.twitter.com/37G9lW5YbH
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) February 1, 2024
Lillard finished the night with 25 points but on 9-of-23 shooting.
Approaching the end of what turned out to be a close, entertaining game, Portland fans would get another taste of Dame Time, this time going against them. But instead, it was an Anfernee Simons drive and bucket with 17.6 seconds left that put Portland up for good. However, a missed Brook Lopez 3 and a couple of missed free throws by Giannis Antetokounmpo (while the Blazers’ Jerami Grant made his) led to a 119-116 final score.
