Tag Archives: Damian Lillard

Portland guard Damian Lillard says his Trail Blazers remain confident in series with Clippers

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Clippers down Blazers 115-95 with 3 double-doubles in Game 1

Chris Paul of the Clippers tries to get around Portland’s Damian Lillard in Game 1 of their playoff series Sunday at Staples Center/AP photo by Jae C. Hong

 

Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers didn’t become the player he is today because his feathers get easily ruffled. Quite the contrary. He insists that in spite of his team’s rather lopsided losses to the Clippers in Games 1 and 2 of their first-round playoff series, he remains confident, as does his team.

“I mean, I don’t see why we should not have confidence,” Lillard said following his team’s 102-81 loss to the Clippers at Staples Center in Game 2 on Wednesday. “I think Game 1 (on Sunday) we were in the game  and then they had a stretch where they got on a run, we couldn’t score the ball and we just couldn’t close that gap for the rest of the game.

“Tonight, we took it a step further and the game was closer for a little bit longer than it was last game, and then the same thing happened. We went cold and they started to knock down shots.”

Now it’s Portland’s turn to play host as Games 3 and 4 are slated for Saturday and Monday at Moda Center in Portland.

“We’re not the first team to lose the first two on the road,” Lillard said. “Like I said, they took care of their home court and now we’re going to have the same opportunity. So we’ve got to put together four quarters for these next couple (of) games.”

The Trail Blazers trailed the Clippers 50-42 at halftime of Game 1, before being outscored 65-53 in the second half to lose 115-95.

Game 2 was closer for longer. as Portland was down by just six points (69-63) with 10 1/2 minutes to play before the Clippers turned it on and buried the Trail Blazers.

Lillard, Portland’s best player, has struggled with his shot the first two games. He scored 21 points on 7 of 17 shooting in Game 1 and he scored 17 points on 6 of 22 from the field in Game 2. He’s shooting a combined 33.3 percent (13 of 39).

LA Clippers hold Blazers to 34.1-percent shooting, want to be even better

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Chris Paul

Chris Paul/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers

 

The Clippers held the Portland Trail Blazers to 34.1-percent shooting Wednesday in their 102-81 victory in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series. Yet, coach Doc Rivers said the team could have played even better defense. Point guard Chris Paul agreed.

“Could have been better,” Paul said. “That’s why we’re going to come in tomorrow and watch film. Damian (Lillard) is tough to defend, which is why we’re always giving those different looks to him and stuff like that. But tonight I could have done a better job and not just given him all the backdoor layups and dunks and things like that.”

Lillard scored 17 points, but shot just 6 of 22.

The Clippers lead the series 2-0. Game 3 is Saturday at Portland.

 

J.J. Redick scores 13 as Clippers hold 47-43 lead over Blazers

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J.J. Redick

J.J. Redick/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers

 

The Clippers on Wednesday night led the Portland Trail Blazers by as many as 15 points in the first half of Game 2 of their first-round playoff series at Staples Center. By the time halftime rolled around, the Clippers held just a 47-43 advantage over Portland, which had to be feeling good heading into its locker room.

J.J. Redick led the Clippers with 13 points, Blake Griffin scored eight on 2 of 7 shooting and Chris Paul had seven points and three assists after playing just 14 minutes because of three personal fouls. DeAndre Jordan didn’t score, but he had 10 rebounds.

Mason Plumlee and C.J. McCollum scored 11 points apiece for Portland. Point guard Damian Lillard had six points, but shot just 2 of 10.

The Clippers shot 42.2 percent from the field, the Trail Blazers shot 34 percent.

Blazers’ Ed Davis certain Clippers will again use trapping defense

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Ed Davis

Ed Davis/Photo courtesy of Portland Trail Blazers

 

There likely isn’t a player on the Portland Trail Blazers who isn’t expecting the Clippers to throw another trapping defense at them when the teams square off in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series Wednesday night at Staples Center.

Portland receive center Ed Davis has no doubt about it.

“They did it in Game 1, so we expect them do do it in Game 2,” said Davis, whose team was defeated 115-95 by the Clippers on Sunday night in the series opener at Staples Center.

The biggest thing about the defense the Clippers used was that it held Portland guards Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum in check. Lillard scored 21 points on 7 of 17 shooting. McCollum scored nine points on 3 of 11 from the field. Lillard and McCollum averaged 25.1 and 20.7 points, respectively, during the regular season.

 

Clippers’ Jamal Crawford notes, ‘It’s just the start of the series’

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Jamal Crawford

Jamal Crawford/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers

 

Yes, the Clippers put it to the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 1 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series, the Clippers routing them 115-95 on Sunday night at Staples Center.

But Clippers sixth-man Jamal Crawford understands it’s a long series and the Trail Blazers are not a team to be overlooked.

“It’s just the start of the series,” said Crawford, who scored 13 points off the bench on 6 of 12 shooting. “They will make adjustments and do something different. They are a team that when their guards get going, we have our hands full. They are a really good team and they play really hard.

“They have a lot of pieces, so they can go big or small; they brought in Chris Kaman late in the game. They are also well-coached, so it will be a good series.”

Portland guards Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum scored 21 and nine points, respectively. Lillard shot just 7 of 17, McCollum just 3 of 11.

Game 2 is Wednesday night at 7:30 at Staples Center.

Damian Lillard says Blazers were prepared for Clippers in Game 1

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Los Angeles Clippers' Chris Paul, right, is pressured

Damian Lillard, left, of Portland pressures the Clippers’ Chris Paul during the Clippers’ 115-95 victory over the Trail Blazers on Sunday night at Staples Center/AP photo by Jae C. Hong

 

Damian Lillard and his Portland Trail Blazers had just been routed 115-95 by the Clippers in Game 1 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series Sunday night at Staples Center. He was asked if, as the leader of his team, he needs to do anything more to get his teammates ready for Game 2 on Wednesday night.

“No, I thought we were ready,” said Lillard, who scored a team-high 21 points but shot just 7 of 17. “Everybody was ready mentally, everybody was locked in. In the first half, we played them really well; we were right there. We had the lead and they had a little bit of a run in the first half and we were down eight. In the second half, that’s when they really separated themselves.”

The Trail Blazers led 40-39 with 4:41 left in the second quarter, but were outscored 11-2 by the Clippers to trail 50-42 at halftime. The Clippers led by 21 (81-60) with 1:11 left in the third and by as many as 23 three times in the fourth.