NBA: Coach Doc Rivers Praises Damian Lillard’s ‘Courage’ On Milwaukee Bucks Return

NBA: Coach Doc Rivers Hails Damian Lillard’s ‘Courage’ in Milwaukee Bucks’ Dramatic Win

Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers praised Damian Lillard’s “courage” after the star guard played a crucial role in securing a dramatic win over the Houston Rockets. Lillard, who had missed the previous three games due to concussion protocol, made a pivotal layup with just 3.9 seconds remaining to help the Bucks clinch a 101-100 victory.

Lillard finished the game with 18 points and 10 assists, contributing to Milwaukee’s third win in their last four games. The Bucks had a rough start to the season, sitting at 2-8, but have recently found their rhythm.

Despite struggling with his shooting, particularly from beyond the arc where he missed all six of his 3-point attempts, Lillard’s performance earned high praise from Rivers. The coach compared Lillard’s mental toughness to that of one of the NBA’s all-time greats, Ray Allen.

“Dame just has great courage, you know?” Rivers said. “It reminds me a lot of Ray Allen in that regard.”

Rivers pointed out that while Allen rarely had off nights shooting, when he did, he still had the confidence to take—and make—the crucial shot when needed. He believes Lillard has that same mentality.

“Ray didn’t have a lot of bad shooting nights, but when he did, if you needed one shot, you’d still want to go to him,” Rivers continued. “And that’s how you feel about Dame. Whether he’s on fire or not, he just has this belief that he should take the last shot and make it. And he does it over and over again.”

In the game, Brook Lopez had a stellar performance, scoring 27 points on 11-of-15 shooting and adding 10 rebounds. Giannis Antetokounmpo also contributed with 20 points and 13 rebounds.

The Rockets had been on a hot streak and were close to extending their win streak to six games, taking a 100-99 lead with 1:17 remaining. However, Lillard’s clutch play turned the tide.

“I could feel it was one of those games where I needed to keep going, keep my foot on the gas down the stretch,” Lillard said after the game.

“It just came down to those last two plays. I made one, and we were able to get a stop on the other end.”