Damian Lillard's 35-point first half carries Bucks to Game 1 win - ESPN

MILWAUKEE — With the clock winding down toward the end of the first quarter, Bucks point guard Damian Lillard put an exclamation point on his Game 1 masterpiece.

With a crossover, he created space and stepped back into a 28-foot 3-pointer, a vintage move from Lillard to knock down a shot past the outstretched hand of Pacers guard T.J. McConnell as the first-quarter buzzer sounded. Lillard then trotted down the court, basking in the adulation of a sold-out crowd at Fiserv Forum.

«What time is it?» the public address announcer asked.

«Dame Time!» the crowd roared.

«This is what y'all brought me here for,» Lillard yelled to the crowd as he beat his chest.

With two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo sidelined by a calf strain, Lillard carried the Bucks to a 109-94 victory over the Pacers on Sunday in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series. Lillard finished with 35 points, all in the first half, to help build Milwaukee a halftime cushion that was never threatened.

«In the playoffs, it's about setting the tone,» Lillard said. «We're going to see this team a lot of times, and you want to establish yourself, especially on your home floor. That was my mentality, to come out and try and set the tone in that way.»

Game 2 is Tuesday night in Milwaukee.

Lillard's 35 points in the first half were the second-highest total by any player in the first half of an NBA playoff game in the past 25 years, trailing only Kevin Durant's 38 points in 2019, according to research by ESPN Stats & Information. Lillard set a playoff career high for points in a half and scored more points than any Bucks player in a first half since Antetokounmpo in the 2021 NBA Finals.

«He carried us,» Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. «He was unbelievable.»

Even with