Damian Lillard produces ‘Dame Time,’ leads the Milwaukee Bucks to a win in his debut

Damian Lillard showed Milwaukee Bucks fans what “Dame Time” is all about. Lillard put on a show in the fourth quarter during his regular season debut with the Bucks Thursday night.

Lillard, the former Portland Trail Blazers’ star who was traded to the Bucks in a three-team deal Sept. 28, carried the Bucks in the final minutes of their 118-117 win against Philadelphia 76ers at Fiserve Forum.

Lillard scored 14 of his game-high 39 points in the final four minutes of the game. Lillard shot 9 of 20 from the floor and made 4 of 12 three-point shots. He got to the free throw line often, making all 17 of his free throws in the game. He also had eight rebounds, four assists and no turnovers.

Nobody cared about Lillard’s overall shooting after he made a number of key plays in the fourth quarter, showing why he’s one of the best closers in the NBA and the reason the Bucks acquired him.

Lillard’s 29-foot 3-pointer gave the Bucks a 105-104 lead with 3:52 remaining. He made three free throws after being fouled to give the Bucks a 110-104 lead with 3:15 left. Lillard then made a driving layup as he was fouled by P.J. Tucker. Lillard made the free throw for a 113-104 lead with 2:45 remaining.

The 76ers went on a 7-0 run, but Lillard’s 30-foot 3-pointer gave the Bucks a 116-111 lead with 1:13 remaining. Then his two free throws made the score 118-114 with 11.1 seconds left.

The Bucks have championship aspirations after adding Lilllard to play alongside two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, forming what is expected to be a potent duo. Antetokounmpo scored 23 points on 10-of-22 shooting. He also had 13 rebounds.