Another year, another first-round exit for the Milwaukee Bucks! Despite making the blockbuster move last summer of adding Damian Lillard to the roster, they were eliminated by the Pacers tonight, a team that had not won a playoff series in ten years. Not only that, the way Milwaukee went out tonight, with a 22-point blowout loss, was straight-up embarrassing. It even led to fans questioning Dame’s move to the Bucks, as the veteran was obliterated with ‘personal’ digs and remarks highlighting a ‘typical’ season.
Although Lillard returned tonight after missing two games because of an Achilles injury he suffered in Game 3, he could not save the Bucks’ season. Despite adding 28 points, he did not have much impact as he struggled from long range, missing eight shots from distance. With tonight’s loss, Dame faced his career’s sixth first-round playoff exit.
USA Today via Reuters
On top of that, the move to Milwaukee caused Dame to go through a lonely period in his life as he filed for divorce with Kay’La Lillard just days after getting traded to the Bucks. Even Lillard admitted to the feeling after parting with his wife and children, saying, “It’s definitely lonely because I’m such a family guy… My life is my family. After games, I would come out and my whole family would be back there. My kids coming out of the playroom. My mom, my brother, my cousins lived there, you know what I mean?” Now that the $93 million move didn’t play out the way he hoped, it is likely that Dame might question his decision to leave Portland in the first place.
Fans breathe fire down Damian Lillard’s neck after the first-round exit
Before the season started, many expected the Bucks to win a Championship this season or at least make a run to the NBA Finals. Mostly because Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo seemed like a dream pairing on paper. But despite starting the season 30-13 under Adrian Griffin, the Bucks decided to bring in Doc Rivers, eventually leading to their humiliating first-round exit tonight. And the fanbase was left distraught by the outcome as they took to social media to express their frustration with Lillard.
One fan brutally suggested that Dame could have stayed in Portland to live with his kids if eventually, he was going to lose in the first round.
This fan called Lillard’s first-round exit “typical” as this was his career’s sixth one.
A netizen questioned Dame’s purpose of moving to Milwaukee if he wasn’t even capable of eliminating an inexperienced Pacers squad.
Rubbing salt to the wounds, this person questioned how the Damian Lillard-Jrue Holiday trade was looking now, considering the Bucks are out in the first round and Holiday is still contending for the title in the Celtics uniform.
The elimination prompted this individual to make an unusual comparison between Lillard’s ‘sorry season’ at the age of 33 and Westbrook’s clinical lone season with the Wizards at the same age.
The fan’s frustration is understandable and extremely palpable as they had steep expectations after Dame moved to Milwaukee with the stakes so high. As their season has ended in disappointment, it will be interesting to see the moves they make this summer, to get back in title contention. Although Lillard and Giannis together were unable to fulfill Milwaukee’s Championship dream, it might not have been their fault as they were injured for most of the series. So, the Bucks will likely give the duo another shot to achieve what they couldn’t.
Moreover, they are unlikely to get a better star player than Damian Lillard in the market this summer. However, the Bucks will probably take a look at the supporting cast and make some changes there while keeping the Dame and Giannis duo intact, also hoping that they can stay healthy to finish the job next season.
