My lilac that I overwintered in the garage/basement started sprouting new growth in the dark. Very long, very light green new growth. I recently moved it outside and all that new stuff is shriveling a bit/dying and getting flimsy.

My question is should I cut off the new growth before it just dies or leave it because it would cause more damage to the tree? It is in a container and about 5 feet tall.

Will better growth come from removing the early growth?

Thanks