Damian Lillard Talks Return From Injury, Blazers Reunion After Blowout Win vs. Suns

After 18 months away from the court, Portland Trail Blazers star guard Damian Lillard made his triumphant return in Wednesday's 124-83 blowout win over the Phoenix Suns.

Lillard dropped a game-high 25 points with six three-pointers to spearhead the victory, showing that he's back to his old self after spending a year and a half recovering from a torn Achilles suffered in April 2025 when he was with the Milwaukee Bucks.

"I did feel good, but you know I've felt good for months now, and I've been saying that. But I think there's probably some people that might have been skeptical because they hadn't seen me. I hadn't been out on the floor and been in front of people," Lillard said after the game, per the Associated Press .

Lillard began his NBA career in Portland in 2012 before his brief two-year stint in Milwaukee, and he returned to his longtime franchise on a three-year, $42 million deal in July 2025. Despite missing the entire 2025-26 season, he received a warm welcome from fans at Moda Center with an extended standing ovation before his pregame address.

"It was a lot of love. The fans showed a lot of love," Lillard said. "I think it's no secret the relationship between myself and our fans and the city of Portland."

If Lillard can stay healthy throughout the year, the Blazers should be able to keep up with the top teams in the Western Conference.

"Coming back off of a major injury, getting back healthy, and making it to this day, being a part of a really good team -- at a different time for the Trail Blazers than my last stint with the team -- it just felt great to be embraced and welcomed," Lillard said.