Lillard believes player are getting better in In-Season Tournament

Damian Lillard has jumped to the defense of the newly installed In-Season Tournament as the event progresses into its climax.

The new format was severely criticized at the beginning of the season with many fearing it will be meaningless in the bigger picture. However, with the group stage now over, the knockout phase will soon follow and that will give plenty of thrill all around the league.

“I think it’s growing on everybody a little bit more,” Lillard said. “In the beginning we didn’t really know what it was, we just knew that money was on the line.”

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“Now it’s turned into real entertainment, real competitive basketball. We playing for something.”

Lillard and the Milwaukee Bucks easily dispatched the New York Knicks and will travel to Vegas, when they face the Boston Celtics in a mouth-watering 1/2 final.