LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – The Brooklyn Nets implemented an interesting tactic late in the third quarter Thursday night in what was a must-win game for the Portland Trail Blazers to qualify for the NBA play-off round again.
Damian Lillard – the hottest player in the NBA Bubble – got the pass from incoming and continued to dribble with the court to set up the crime. But on this trip up the floor, he noticed something unknown.
Before he even reached the halfway point, two defenders flashed at him, forcing him to go to his release valve too soon. “Logo Lillard” is what he is famous for for his tendency to appear and retell the league logo from near the half court on a regular basis.
“I never have [seen that] in front of. Maybe once, but not like that, “Lillard told Yahoo Sports after the Blazers’ 134-133 victory to claim the eighth seed in the West.” Like, bruh. Even when they were in a zone, boxing they-and-one.We ran our zone offense and [a defender] just followed me around and refused me. ”
That defensive approach to Lillard first proved successful in the first round of the 2018 playoffs, when the six-seeded New Orleans Pelicans shook the basketball world and the Trail Blazers seeded the third. The kicks came so often for Lillard in that series, and for the most part he tried to play the right way and just trust his teammates by giving up the ball and hoping they capitalized on a 4-3 advantage.
Portland, however, could not consistently capitalize on those situations, and whatever rhythm Lillard had was disturbed. The story that many people started from that series was that Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday Lillard was suspended when it was rarely a one-on-one situation.
When Lillard saw Brooklyn start kicking him, he thought about how he reacted two years ago.
‘It was harder for me then. I took it hard, ”Lillard told Yahoo Sports. ‘Every time people call it that [Pelicans] row for me, I’m just saying I’m better off. I improved and I think it has turned out well. Because last night it was even less than New Orleans with how aggressive and early [the trap] used to be. ”
Lillard had the feeling that the Fallen would come back at some point, and he put the work behind the scenes with his teammates to limit their effectiveness.
Sources said Lillard attended every optional practice during the restart to see the young boys play three-on-three. This is his way of showing them that they are valued members of the team, knowing he needs them.
On Thursday, the five-time All-Star put his head down against the Nets, dribbled through the doubles and finesse his way into the paint. He found teammates one pass away for open triples. And on one possession early in the fourth, when the defense forgot to pick him up at the half court, he splashed the ball through the net from the logo.
The good game is to pass the ball once he approaches a double, and two years ago, that’s what he did. It did not translate into the result he was looking for.
Lillard did not go out like that again.
“That’s why I took those deep three,” Lillard told Yahoo Sports. ‘I could not allow the stairs to take me out of the game. I sometimes started attacking two defenders and if they tried too hard I would still throw it out. But I started looking for shots and chances. But at the same time, I can not trust my teammates. I think Gary Trent Jr. has earned our trust. Even if he misses a pair in a row, I still have confidence to make that pass for him out of the double. And I got the confidence that he will make it. So I look at Gary Trent, who probably made the most threes in the bubble, I look at CJ [McCollum], and I look to Carmelo Anthony. I look at the double team like, ‘I’m fine with this.’ And last night we did not make any shots, but I do not see many nights where we get that appearance and they do not go in on a high cliff. “
Despite the schedule, Lillard finished with 42 points and 12 assists in 43 minutes.
McCollum, who is struggling with a fracture in his back, scored 25 points and came up with the decisive defensive stop, leaving Caris LeVert in a disputed step-back jumper sounding from the back edge at the buzzer sound.
After the game, Lillard had a conversation with LeVert, who pitched the Trail Blazers for 37 points and nine assists.
“I told him he’s nice and by keeping up with hope,” Lillard told Yahoo Sports. “Because he is. He’s really nice, bruh. ”
Portland, went 6-2 up again to grab the eighth seed and will now face the Memphis Grizzlies in the play-in round, which begins Saturday with Portland a six-point favorite at BetMGM. The Trail Blazers need to win just one game to advance to a playoff series with the Los Angeles Lakers, while the Grizzlies need to win twice consecutive days.
Now that Lillard has found a balance in how to kick with traps and the extra attention on the court, the Blazers are anything but an easy exit. However, it will take players who shoot and some wonderful performances from Lillard.
“Last year in the Western Conference finals, Golden State did what Brooklyn did. “They just did not show me, except that they had really experienced, smart players who did it and they were aggressive with it,” Lillard told Yahoo Sports. ‘And even at the end of that series, the game we eliminated in Portland, where I missed a shot on the buzzer to win it, I had a good game. I had 28 points and 12 assists in the final game, but it took me a while to get through. But I think at the moment, I’m just growing as a player. I’m figuring out what teams are trying to do and go from there. I find my ways around, I know when I need to be too aggressive, when I need to attack, what to look for, who to place them to make them respond in a way to see how they do. ‘
It has been a great comeback story for Carmelo Anthony, who has made several big appearances for the Trail Blazers in a fresh start.
But he was recently awarded for his efforts off the court.
Neil Olshey, the Blazers president of basketball operations, presented Anthony with the Maurice Lucas Award on Tuesday.
This annual honor is named after the late man of Trail Blazer to mark an individual who contributes to their communities and has the support of his teammates and the organization.
In such a short time, Anthony has shown that he loves Portland and is a valuable member of the Blazers.
The Brooklyn Nets are without numerous players for the restart, but one of their stars is making sure other players are not without.
Kyrie Irving, who is also a vice president of the Players’ Association, launched the KAI Empowerment Initiative, a $ 1.5 million fund that he distributes to WNBA players who restart for various reasons. .
Sources said the deadline for players to submit their request to receive funds from the program was this past Tuesday and the review process is underway. Participants will be notified of their applications on or through August 24, sources said.
It is an initiative that aims to advance women’s basketball and play its part in ensuring equality and social justice.
Since the Brooklyn Nets signed veteran ranger Jamal Crawford before the reboot, the organization has been rude about his leadership qualities and how much his younger teammates respect him.
Sources said Crawford has shown his worth in the dressing room and proved in his limited practices – due to a hamstring injury – that he is still an offensive force. The Nets are seriously considering joining the roster for the 2020-21 season, sources said.
Nets superstar Kevin Durant has already publicly lobbied for Crawford to stay.
Jamal Crawford shows off his headphones. (Yahoo Sports)
The age gap between Crawford, 40, and his teammates glares when you look at the headphones Nets players use first name to clear themselves up.
Most of the players have wireless Beats like Apple AirPods, but Crawford rocks an old pair of Sony wireless headphones that have a headphone disconnected from the turn.
Crawford’s teammates have tried to persuade him to upgrade, but the three-time Sixth Man of the Year has refused. His wife, Tori, heard enough and sent her husband a fresh pair of headphones that should arrive in the bubble this weekend.
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