Damian Lillard's aggressive mentality in the NBA All-Star Game paid off as the Milwaukee Bucks guard bagged the MVP honors after leading the East to a dominant victory against the West squad.
Lillard finished the contest with a team-high 39 points, although Karl-Anthony Towns was the top-scorer with 50. The Bucks superstar made 11 triples in the game on top of three rebounds, six assists and a steal in order to lead the East All-Star squad to a record-breaking 211-186 victory.
Dame Time also made some history in the process, replicating Michael Jordan's feat of earning two titles on back-to-back nights. Jordan won the NBA Dunk Contest and All-Star MVP Honors in 1988. Lillard, for his part, defended his 3-Point Contest title on Saturday night before securing the ASG MVP award.
After the game, Lillard talked about his mentality entering the contest and how he was able to explode offensively. According to Lillard, a huge part of it was his aggressiveness from start to finish.
“I just know you’ve got to keep shooting the ball and I think in a game like this, it's going to be pretty loose and you're going to get your opportunities. I just told myself I’m going to be aggressive and I'm going to keep firing. I saw a couple go in and after that it was just like I'm going after it,” Lillard said of his accolade.
“I just told myself that I’m gonna be aggressive. I saw a couple go in and after that it was just like I’m going after it.”
Damian Lillard on his 39 points and winning 2024 All-Star Game MVP.
(via @JerryDonatien) pic.twitter.com/EYQhZlBOes
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 19, 2024
While Damian Lillard was booed by Indiana Pacers fans hoping that hometown hero Tyrese Haliburton would snatch the honor, it sure looks like he isn't bothered by it. Clearly, Lillard also enjoyed the festivities.
Now, as they head to the All-Star break, Bucks fans are certainly hoping Lillard can keep the winning run going when they return to action.
Follow Us
Subscribe