The Portland Trailblazers just suffered their worst loss of the 2022-23 NBA campaign. The Los Angeles Lakers came into Moda Center and opened up a quick 14-point lead in the first quarter that dwindled down to a 7 point lead following 12 minutes.
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However, after Damian Lillard and Patrick Beverley got into it in the second quarter with the former telling Bev that he would ‘beat his a**’, the Blazers went on a 31-8 run. This run closed down the first half and resulted in them being up 71-46.
However, after scoring 45 points in the second period, they would score merely 41 points in the entirety of the second half, causing them to lose the game 121-112. Dame, who is coming off of a multitude of 35+ point games, had quite the off night, going 5-17 from the field and having a total of 24 points.
Damian Lillard gets frustrated with questions about the trade deadline
Damian Lillard isn’t just an integral part of the Blazers roster, but is an integral part of the franchise as a whole. Joe Cronin even stated that Dame was helping out with front office details, claiming he was picking up on the nuances of the business side of things pretty quickly.
However, during tonight’s postgame press conference, when asked about the trade deadline and if the Blazers will make moves to beef up their roster, Dame would get agitated.
“I don’t think it’s fair for y’all to be asking me these questions right now. I think that’s kind of a weak move,” said Lillard. “Y’all put me in a position to answer questions that I don’t think is cool. There’s people that you can ask those questions to.”
Things got a little testy postgame with Damian Lillard.
Was asked about his thoughts on the trade deadline. That’s the first bite here.
Then was asked how much more patience he has with this organization in terms of making changes. That’s where things turned. pic.twitter.com/PmmJFJnuwG
— Brenna Greene (@BrennaGreene_) January 23, 2023
Damian Lillard wants to win but also wants to be a Blazer
Tonight’s loss showcased every last bit of what the Blazers simply cannot do. They have streaking shooting on the perimeter, their defense collapses on fast-breaks and through simple drive and dishes for open looks, and do not have a dominant paint presence on defense.
Nurkic couldn’t stay out on the floor against Thomas Bryant due to foul trouble and Drew Eubanks could barely hold his own. Bryant, while he is a great talent, isn’t close to be an All-NBA center.
Damian Lillard is on a contract that could be worth $225 million after signing his 2-year extension that runs through the 2026-27 season. He wants to be a Blazer for life but at the same time, he wants to win. The older he gets, harder it’ll be to hoist the Larry O’Brien.
In the near future, Dame will have to choose between his legacy in Portland and his willingness to win at all costs.
