As has been the case since his departure ahead of the 2023/24 season, the reunion between Damian Lillard and the Blazers are always a special moment, for the Oregon franchise as for the leader of the Bucks, who embodied the face of Portland for eleven years.
Already last year, “Dame Time” had struggled against his former team, with Portland even winning at home last February for its very first return to the Moda Center. Saturday evening, the Blazers came to win in Wisconsin, with once again a lackluster Damian Lillard (16 points, 5/15 shooting).
He could have changed everything at the last second, but his 3-pointer taken in front of his disciple Anfernee Simons did not find the target. For a moment, Chauncey Billups admitted to feeling cold!
“I didn’t like seeing Dame being able to take her shot at the end of the match. Obviously my heart stopped beating for a second. I’ve seen this movie so many times”confided the one who coached Damian Lillard during his first two years as coach in Portland.
Like the good old days
Emotions, Chauncey Billups is preparing to experience them again this evening when it is up to him to return to the lands of his greatest successes as a player, in Detroit. From 2002 to 2008, the former leader was one of the cornerstones of the Michigan franchise, notably with this 2004 NBA title acquired against the Lakers of the Payton-Bryant-Malone-O’Neal quartet, with the trophy of Finals MVP as a bonus.
If he has become accustomed to making his little annual visit with Portland, this is the first time that he will return to Little Caesars Arena as a “Hall of Famer”, after being inducted last October.
“It’s my second home there,” he said. “ I know the atmosphere will be very pleasant. They have things planned for me since I’m coming back for the first time since the Hall of Fame. So it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
According to initial information, the Pistons should pay tribute to Chauncey Billups through a video clip which will be broadcast during the meeting. As with Vince Carter during his recent return to New York to commentate on the Nets, a “Bobblehead Special Edition” by Chauncey Billups should also be marketed on this occasion.
Beyond the match and the tribute that will be paid to him, the former Detroit leader hoped to rediscover his good habits… by going to see an NFL match! The Detroit Lions were playing the Minnesota Vikings last night, and he was hoping to go there, if only to see the Lions win, he who used to go back when the franchise was subscribed to the depths of the NFL.
“They’ve never been better, but it was so fun to go there, because this sport is incredible. Now that they are good, it would be fun to go watch the match”he concluded.
| Shots | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | To | Pd | Bp | Int | Ct | Fte | Pts |
| Anfernee Simons | 31 | 31.7 | 41.6 | 33.9 | 91.0 | 0.3 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 5.0 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 1.9 | 18.0 |
| Shaedon Sharpe | 26 | 31.1 | 45.2 | 28.8 | 77.8 | 0.7 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 1.7 | 17.8 |
| Jerami Grant | 29 | 32.7 | 38.2 | 38.2 | 82.0 | 0.5 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 2.3 | 15.0 |
| Deandre Ayton | 25 | 30.3 | 56.9 | 22.2 | 62.1 | 2.9 | 7.2 | 10.1 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 2.3 | 14.2 |
| Deni Avdija | 34 | 27.6 | 45.7 | 36.0 | 79.6 | 1.3 | 4.9 | 6.2 | 3.2 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 13.7 |
| Scoot Henderson | 27 | 26.0 | 40.7 | 31.2 | 75.9 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 5.1 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 2.7 | 11.2 |
| Toumani Camara | 33 | 31.0 | 43.4 | 35.0 | 75.0 | 2.2 | 3.5 | 5.7 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 2.8 | 9.3 |
| Dalano Banton | 26 | 16.1 | 41.7 | 35.6 | 66.1 | 0.3 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 9.2 |
| Robert Williams | 11 | 16.6 | 72.1 | 33.3 | 92.3 | 1.6 | 3.3 | 4.9 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 1.1 | 6.8 |
| Donovan Clingan | 27 | 15.9 | 52.1 | 29.4 | 75.0 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 6.0 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 2.6 | 5.5 |
| Kris Murray | 28 | 12.7 | 44.9 | 28.2 | 40.9 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 3.9 |
| Jabari Walker | 24 | 10.3 | 44.7 | 18.2 | 72.2 | 0.9 | 2.1 | 3.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 3.5 |
| Rayan Rupert | 25 | 9.9 | 42.6 | 29.0 | 75.0 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 3.2 |
| Taze Moore | 2 | 9.9 | 20.0 | 25.0 | 50.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 |
| Duop Reath | 15 | 6.0 | 40.6 | 37.5 | 66.7 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 2.6 |
| Bryce Mcgowens | 2 | 3.3 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 |
| Justin Minaya | 1 | 6.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
