	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

NBA PLAYOFFS ROUND ONE: TRAIL BLAZERS vs CLIPPERS

April 17, 2016

Damian Lillard

Los Angeles, California: Game One

Clippers - 115, Trail Blazers - 95

Q. Damian, the defense on both you and C.J. seemed to be pretty solid. Can you talk about that?
DAMIAN LILLARD: They did a great job defending our pick-and-rolls. Obviously, it was pretty heavy in their scout, and we knew that coming in. All season long they've given a lot of attention to my ball screens as well as C.J., and they did a good job.

They were physical, they were ready every time, they communicated. It was tough to deal with. We had to make the play and get the ball in the middle to the big, and find a weakside guy, just as a team we didn't have a great offensive night.

Q. Damian, defensively, how did you think you and the team did against Chris Paul? In the third quarter when the Clippers put together that run, was there anything in particular that was going on there that you guys weren't able to respond to?
DAMIAN LILLARD: We just didn't score the ball. We allowed -- it's a game of runs. We knew that they would make runs, but you've got to answer back. You've got to get stops, you've got to score the ball. They got it going a little bit and we didn't shoot the ball well. Usually the things we get to with myself and C.J., ball screen actions, flairs and pin downs, they were pretty disruptive.

As far as guarding CP, it was our same defense. We force guys off the three-point line, make them shoot mid-range, pull-ups and floaters, and we live with the result. Unfortunately, that's his game. He loves that area. We contested a lot of those shots. In his isolations we were physical, we were right there. A player at his level, he's going to make those shots sometimes and tonight he made them.

Q. How satisfied were you with the quality of the looks before the game got away?
DAMIAN LILLARD: I thought we got a lot of good looks, and I was really happy with it because those are shots that guys have been knocking down in the closing stretch of the regular season. We have confidence in those guys making those shots. That's why we throw it to them and that's why they take them.

We've just got to go back, watch the film, see some things that we can clean up and continue to be the team that we've been all year. It's a long series. It's one game. Every game is different, so like I said, we clean up things and we come back Wednesday.

Q. What problems did Blake Griffin create for your small front line tonight?
DAMIAN LILLARD: We switched on him. We had guards on him sometimes. We had Chief on him to start the game on him, and he just kind of bulldozed his way to the rim and it's tough with a guy that's athletic and strong like him. If you get too physical then it's a foul because he's spinning in there and jumping in the middle with the spin. It's tough to defend. So when he's playing a physical game and if you get too physical you know he's at the free-throw line or getting an and one, it's tough to defend. But I thought our guys did a great job competing.

Q. What do you need to do to respond to this game? As the leader of this team, do you feel you have to do anything more to get these guys ready or do you feel you need to just move on to the next game?
DAMIAN LILLARD: No, I thought we were ready. 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 8. In the second half, that's when they really separated themselves.

So we get up tomorrow, we get our shots up. We watch film and see some of the things that we have to do better and move on to the next game. Like I said, every game is different. So that's pretty much it.

Q. Damian, talk about the defensive assignment against Chris, how much attention that you have to give to him defensively takes away from your offense?
DAMIAN LILLARD: It's tough just because he's what makes them go. He's their best player, and that's the challenge that I want. He's aggressive in the post when he gets the ball. He's aggressive off pick-and-rolls. He's crafty. He'll tie you up. I mean, he plays a really heady game and he's a really good player. Then on the other end his bigs are coming out and trapping me every possession. It wears on you and it's tough to play against, but that's the challenge. That's the challenge that we're up against and we've got to make adjustments. I've got to figure out better ways to attack him.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297