‘Lost’ Dame shocked after cheeky homecoming call as KD baffled by Nets tribute — NBA Wrap
In sports activities, like in life, there are heartfelt returns to a spot you as soon as liked and nonetheless do… after which there are the returns you’re not so eager on.
Both have been on show within the NBA on Thursday as Damian Lillard made his long-awaited return to Portland as a Milwaukee Buck, whereas Kevin Durant headed again to Brooklyn as a Phoenix Sun.
Lillard, who spent 11 years as a much-loved member of the Trail Blazers earlier than searching for a commerce to try to win a championship, admitted he obtained misplaced after initially heading into the house locker room on the Moda Center.
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“I really didn’t know where to go,” Lillard mentioned throughout a pregame news convention.
“I’d never been in the visitors locker room until today.”
The Blazers nice additionally stored the door open for a return down the road.
“Because of how I feel about Portland,” Lillard mentioned.
“How I feel about the organisation here and my time that I spent here, in my mind I’ve always felt like that’s how my career would end.
“Right now, I’m just in a space of like, this is where I am now. I’m in Milwaukee. I wanted the opportunity to contend and our team has an opportunity to contend for this year and years to come and I’m just living in that. But I definitely, when I was traded, I see a day where I’ll be in a Trail Blazer uniform again before I’m done.”
The Blazers confirmed two tribute movies through the first quarter, one on his on-court achievements and the opposite on his off-court influence, Lillard given a minute-long standing ovation from the group.
He revealed former teammate CJ McCollum known as him on the way in which to the pre-game shootaround telling him to embrace the feelings of the evening.
“My feelings about playing here, my feelings about putting my best foot forward for the organisation while I was here, it was genuine,” Lillard mentioned.
“It weighed on me heavy, so I’m sure it’ll be a lot of emotions. Just being back out there and seeing the familiar faces. A lot of people in the crowd, I’m going to recognise those faces because I’ve seen them many times, so many years.
“So I’ll let it be what it is. I’m not going to cry, nothing like that. I’m not a big crier, but I’m not going to hide the emotions that I feel from it. I think it’s a moment that means a lot to me and a lot of other people.”
Lillard had 25 factors however his Bucks copped a shock 119-116 loss.
Meanwhile the story wasn’t fairly so candy in Brooklyn, the place Kevin Durant appeared baffled at a pre-game tribute video to have a good time his temporary time trying to construct a superteam with the Nets.
While he was extra cheered than booed after the video, which Durant had mentioned he didn’t need to see, the boos quickly constructed as Durant’s 33-point evening led the Suns to victory.
He nonetheless praised the Nets for the video post-game, explaining: “There’s classy people here. They appreciate everybody who donned the jersey… And that shows a great organisation when you can appreciate everyone who stepped in and put their blood, sweat, and tears in. So I respect that.”
At one stage, Durant drove on Cam Thomas, which is about as preposterous a situation because the Nets may envision.
He bullied his means into the lane through the third quarter and rose as Thomas continued reaching in. Durant simply flipped in a bucket, heard the whistle signalling a foul and glared not at Thomas however at followers behind the basket.
The one-time (and short-time) Nets celebrity introduced his proper hand up and prolonged his index finger and thumb about an inch other than one another: the common image for too small.
On this evening, the Nets certainly had introduced the JV to a varsity recreation.
In Durant’s return to Brooklyn, his Suns dominated the Nets — extra so within the fashion of play than the ultimate rating — in a 136-120 win at Barclays Center over a Jacque Vaughn group that was severely undermanned, a phrase we imply actually.
The Nets (19-28) snapped a quick two-game win streak and haven’t gained three in a row since early December.
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This one, towards the celebrity who adopted Kyrie Irving out of Brooklyn final 12 months, will need to have harm a bit greater than most. It needed to harm the poor wings who needed to guard Jusuf Nurkic essentially the most.
Without Ben Simmons, Dorian Finney-Smith and Day’Ron Sharpe, the Nets have been pressured to place comparative ants on the Suns’ 7-footer each time Nic Claxton was off the court docket. (Claxton, too, couldn’t hold.)
Nurkic totally dominated the sport, ending with 28 factors on 11-of-15 taking pictures, so many back-ins that met no resistance.
Nurkic added 11 rebounds, six assists and two blocks, serving to his group outrebound the Nets, 52-36.
Simmons, who sat for almost three months earlier than returning Monday, was on the bench one recreation later with a knee contusion.
Finney-Smith missed a second straight recreation with an ankle sprain and Sharpe stays out with a knee harm.
So it was wings comparable to Cam Johnson, Royce O’Neale and Spencer Dinwiddie who acquired the unlucky matchup, and so they have been thrown round.
A group with Durant (33 factors), Devin Booker (22 factors) and Bradley Beal (12 factors) was in some way led by a veteran middle who has by no means been an All-Star.
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The Nets had hung round for the primary half and entered the break down simply three. They have been being badly out-rebounded however have been cautious offensively, turning the ball over simply twice within the half and taking pictures 51.1 % from the sector within the early going.
They weren’t going to outmuscle Nurkic, Durant & Co., however they have been going to attempt to outshoot and out-hustle them, grabbing 11 steals.
The plan unravelled within the third quarter, when a 75-75 tie at 7:31 turned the final time the Nets may be ok with themselves.
The Suns ripped off a 24-6 run on the again of 10 factors from Durant, and the sport by no means once more turned aggressive.
An enormous fourth quarter from Cam Thomas (eight of his 25 factors within the final interval) stored the ultimate rating respectable, however the Nets have been by no means inside single digits within the fourth.
NBA SCORES (February 1 AEDT)
Bulls 117, Hornets 110
Pistons 121, Cavaliers 128
Clippers 125, Wizards 109
Kings 106, Heat 115
Pelicans 110, Rockets 99
Mavericks 87, Timberwolves 121
Magic 108, Spurs 98
Nuggets 100, Thunders 105
Suns 136, Nets 120
Bucks 116, Trail Blazers 119
