LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Damian Lillard's emotional return to Portland opened with an ovation and ended in defeat as the Trail Blazers held off the Milwaukee Bucks, 119-116, on Wednesday.

Lillard was playing his first game in Portland since the September trade that sent him to Milwaukee after he spent his first 11 NBA seasons as a Blazer.

Greeted by a massive standing ovation and feted with a video tribute, Lillard felt the love, but the Bucks endured a second straight defeat under new head coach Doc Rivers, who was brought in after the abrupt dismissal of Adrian Griffin despite their position at second in the Eastern Conference behind the Boston Celtics.

Anfernee Simons, once mentored by Lillard in Portland, led the Trail Blazers with 24 points and made a floater that gave them the lead for good with 17.6 seconds to play.

Lillard had thrown down a dunk and fed Giannis Antetokounmpo for alley-oop dunk that put Milwaukee up 116-115 with 37.9 seconds remaining.

Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 27 points and Lillard added 25, but after Simons' go-ahead basket the Bucks couldn't find a way to score and Jerami Grant sealed it at the free-throw line.