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With the NBA play-in tournament right around the corner, the race for the eighth and ninth seeds in the Western Conference is heating up. Damian Lillard has led the Portland Trail Blazers to the ninth spot and they are just half a game behind the eighth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies. The Blazers are the favorites to make it to the playoffs, where they will match up against the LA Lakers.
Damian Lillard recently sat down with Inside the NBA correspondent Chris Haynes for an interview about life in the bubble, the Blazers' expectations this season, and his beef with Paul George.
Damian Lillard speaks about the disrespect from the LA Clippers bench
In Saturday night's NBA blockbuster, the Portland Trail Blazers came up short against the LA Clippers with Damian Lillard missing two key free throws which would have given them the lead in the final seconds of the game.
The missed free throws led to several antics by Patrick Beverley, who was slapping his wrist while mocking Damian Lillard's signature 'Dame Time' hand sign. This later escalated into a trade of insults on social media.
Lillard spoke about this, saying:
"Teams gonna talk trash but it turned into a taunt when they started tapping their wrist and waving way after the fact. Shots being fired in my direction, I'm gonna fire back facts."
Paul George and Damian Lillard traded insults on Instagram after the game, with each player calling out the other's past failures. Things got out of hand soon, with even family members throwing out insults.
Lillard spoke about his missed free throw chances down the stretch, saying:
"I missed two free throws at the end of the game which is not something I typically would do. Failures gonna happen. I'm not above failing or coming up short."
Damian Lillard is ready to lead the Blazers to the NBA playoffs
Before coming to the NBA bubble, Damian Lillard was hesitant to join the team because he was unsure whether the team had a real shot at making it to the playoffs. He was not interested in playing inconsequential games.
Ever since arriving at the NBA bubble, the Blazers have caught fire, with their key players healthy and their bench performing phenomenally.
Damian Lillard spoke about this, saying:
"I didn't wanna have to come here and train and do all this stuff to come here to play eight games and go home. Our team is fighting for it right now."
Damian Lillard himself has been stellar in the seeding games, averaging 33 points and 9.5 assists. His playmaking has helped the rest of his team to flourish. Damian Lillard has been focused on winning and getting the Blazers to the playoffs, saying:
"My mentality was to come here and just show up, you know, compete at the highest level and try to have the biggest impact on winning."
The Portland Trail Blazers have clawed their way to the ninth spot in the Western Conference and Damian Lillard's performances in the upcoming games will be key to their chances of making it to the playoffs.
Also Read: NBA Results Today (August 10) - LA Lakers end losing run, Jimmy Butler dominates T.J. Warren again
