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The Portland TrailBlazers missed the 2022 and 2023 NBA playoffs, keeping Damian Lillard from playing postseason basketball in his last two years in Portland. That brief drought for Lillard ended this season, with the Milwaukee Bucks entering the playoffs as the third-seeded team in the East.
After the Bucks defeated the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 on Sunday, Lillard opened up about missing the postseason the last two seasons. He said that because he was forced to take an early vacation, he got the opportunity to attend the annual music festival Coachella, something the rapper/basketball player had never done before being eliminated from playoff contention.
Damian Lillard's statement about missing the playoffs drew a lot of reactions from fans, with many focusing on his comments about attending Coachella.
"Further proof that Coachella is for depressed people without a job," @Jared_Wade tweeted.
"Need Dame's opinion on Blackpink," @thejonlee tweeted.
"Dame was forced to be disappointed by Frank Ocean in person. Never again!" @evnjnsn wrote.
Other fans made humorous comments about Coachella itself or how the Trail Blazers treated Dame right because he got to go to Coachella.
"And people say the Blazers didn't do right by him," @SheriffOfPDX joked.
"Damn Coachella caught a stray," @Mikefiggs wrote.
One person who has never been to Coachella drew conclusions on how enjoyable the music festival is based on Dame's comments.
"Coachella seems like it should be a lot more fun than I'm guessing it actually is," @ChristopherHine tweeted.
For a competitor like Damian Lillard, fighting for an NBA title is more fun than attending a music festival. While Coachella might be fun for others, it isn't Dame's preferred activity.
Also read: Damian Lillard slams Stephen A. Smith’s claims of not being happy with Bucks: “I know the truth”
Damian Lillard's full comments about missing the NBA playoffs and attending Coachella
Damian Lillard talked about missing the postseason and taking an early vacation after the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Indiana Pacers 109-94.
When asked Dame how much he was looking forward to playing in the postseason again, Lillard talked about missing it the last two years in Portland.
Lillard said that those last two years "sucked." He said that he attended Coachella for the first time in 2023. He had never done so before because he was in the playoffs. He then said that playing in the postseason again as part of a true contender is what he looked forward to the most.
Despite missing the postseason the last two years, it appears Dame never missed a beat based on his performance in Game 1.
Damian Lillard scores 35 points in Game 1 victory
With Giannis Antetokounmpo missing the Bucks' first game of the 2024 playoffs, the responsibility of being the team's star fell solely on Damian Lillard's shoulders.
To Dame's credit, he stepped up. In the first quarter, the All-Star guard scored 19 points. He was also only one field goal short of having the same number of points as the entire Indiana Pacers squad in the opening frame.
In the second quarter, he dropped 16 more, bringing his total to 35 first-half points. as the Bucks led 69-42 at halftime.
However, it was a tale of two halves for Damian Lillard as he went scoreless in the second half. He went 0-for-5, but the work he did in the first 24 minutes was enough to propel the Milwaukee Bucks to a 109-94 victory.
