In his initial face-off against his former team, Damian Lillard admitted the game felt a bit different at first. The Milwaukee Bucks (12-5) found themselves on the brink of a potentially embarrassing loss for much of the day against the Portland Trail Blazers (4-12), eventually orchestrating their most significant comeback in over a decade.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s tiebreaking tip-in with 18.5 seconds left secured the victory for the Bucks, as he finished with an impressive stat line of 33 points, 16 rebounds, and six assists.
Lillard contributed 31 points to the Blazers’ effort and sealed the victory with four crucial free throws in the final seconds.
The Bucks staged an extraordinary comeback, trailing 81-55 early in the third quarter—the largest deficit overcome by a winning team in the NBA this season.
This marked Milwaukee’s most substantial come-from-behind victory since Nov. 26, 2012, when they rallied from 27 points down to defeat Chicago 93-92.
Jerami Grant led the Trail Blazers with 22 points, while Malcolm Brogdon contributed 18 points and 12 assists.
Milwaukee played without Khris Middleton due to tendinitis in his left Achilles.
