In the absence of Antetokounmpo, the Bucks may not have imagined that they would be able to beat the Clippers at home, especially in the third quarter of the game, when they were as many as 15 points behind their opponents, but in the fourth quarter, the Bucks played a near-perfect performance to win the game.
Lillard played one of his best games since joining the Bucks, in the absence of Brother Alphabet, Lillard provoked the beam, 12 of 22 shots in the game, 4 of 9 three-pointers got 41 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists, except for the second quarter into the regular rotation only 4 points, the remaining three quarters Lillard scored double-digit points in a single quarter, in the second half, he played all 24 minutes and scored 22 points, the final quarter of the counterattack, Lillard repeatedly gave the opponent a heavy blow when the opponent tried to stabilize the situation, By the time the Clippers began to limit him with a trap-and-clamp strategy, Lillard was able to find his teammates in time to help Portis and others decide the outcome of the game in the final moments.
I knew exactly what the situation was like tonight, I couldn't play with the likes of Antetokounmpo and Middleton, so I got into the groove from the start and they took care of me and packed me and I was able to attract the defence and create chances for my team-mates based on what was going on the pitch. It also boosted our morale a lot, everyone played really well, we trusted each other, we played the right basketball and we're happy to win in the end. Lillard said after the game.
After the All-Star, the Bucks are in excellent shape, winning all 6 games, during which their record is the same as the Nuggets, tied for No. 1 in the league, after experiencing the painful period of changing coaches, the Bucks can now be said to be on the right track, compared to the Griffin coaching period, although Lillard's own state still has ups and downs, but the Bucks' defense has improved a lot compared to before, plus with the two major scorers of Brother Alphabet and Lillard, the Bucks' winning rate has also improved significantly.
With this victory, the Bucks continue to rank second in the East with a record of 41 wins and 21 losses, but their task is still not easy, according to statistics, the Bucks' remaining schedule is ranked second in the league, and in the case of catching up with the Celtics, holding the home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs has become the biggest task for the Bucks next, in this process, Lillard undoubtedly needs to have a more stable performance, Brother Alphabet missed the game today because of Achilles tendon pain, how long he will be absent is still a question mark, Next, the Bucks will have a brutal road trip to the West, and for Lillard and the Bucks, the test has just begun.