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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: TRAIL BLAZERS VS. WARRIORS

May 18, 2019

Damian Lillard

Portland, Oregon - Postgame 3

Golden State 110, Portland 99

Q. We're seeing a leaner, meaner, Draymond Green in this series. He seems to really be in attack mode. He's not attacking the officials. What is he attacking in this series?
DAMIAN LILLARD: I think we have given a lot of attention to their two main guys, their guys who shoot the ball the best and that's Steph [Curry] and Klay [Thompson].

So you know, when we do, our switching and all of our -- have our bigs up at the level, at the three-point line, they throw it to him and he's making the right play. Sometimes he's getting downhill and laying it up, drawing fouls, making lobs, making the late pass to the bigs, the weak side. Once he gets the ball in his hands, he's doing everything you would want that guy in the middle to do. Even in the first half, he was just pushing it up the court, inbounding it quick, you know, the game was going our way and he was just pushing it quick, drawing fouls. You know, trying to get to the rim.

He's been huge for them.

Q. The Warriors have consistently blitzed and you've consistently made the correct plays. Is there a point where you kind of have to push it and force it a bit or do you have to continue making the correct play?
DAMIAN LILLARD: I think what they want me to do is make the correct play, and for me, I try to do that for as long as possible. You know, as long as I can do it and we can stay in the game or have a lead like we have the last two games when I'm just making the right plays, and guys are doing what they're supposed to do on the weak side.

But I think in Golden State's minds, they know at some point, if we're going to beat them, I'm going to have to be rolling. They are just kind of banking on the fact that we'll just live with what's happening right now. Keep getting the ball out of his hands and you know, at some point, we'll probably be able to take over the game.

And tonight, I was making the right plays, just like Game 2. We had the lead for a lot of the game. Third quarter they had another one of their quarters, and I mean, I tried to get aggressive. I tried to force the action. Both guys staying with me and then Draymond is lurking behind them.

You know, you go up against a wall of defense, sometimes it's three defenders. It's tough because you're not always going to get a quality look and then when you do get a quality look and don't make it, that just kind of makes it worse.

Q. How tired are you?
DAMIAN LILLARD: Everybody's tired. It's the third round of the playoffs after a long season. Our last series, I got a lot of attention. The team was giving me a lot of attention and same thing in this series. It takes a lot to deal with that and then go out and chase guys around on the defensive end.

But everybody's putting that effort out. I mean, I feel fine enough to go out there and play 40 minutes like I have been, but you know, it's definitely tiring.

Q. It seems pretty well known that the Warriors go on big runs; is this something that you have to prepare for as a player? Does it affect mentality at all, knowing that the Warriors do this and do it with consistency, a run in the third?
DAMIAN LILLARD: I don't think it affects your mentality and it's something you should expect from them. We are just constantly reminding each other what to give up so maybe we don't give up one of those runs.

But a huge part of it is just staying together, keeping your mind right and not panicking when they do have a run. I thought in Game 2, they went on one of those runs and we went into the fourth tied up, and then we were able to build back on the lead in the fourth, and down the stretch, we just kind of let the game slip away, and tonight, they went on another one of those runs.

I thought we were in the game. But you know, when you give up that run and you don't control the game well enough, it can easily get away from you, you know, and we had some possessions where they had some miscommunication on some switches. Left a few guys open, and they hurt you in those situations.

Q. In your estimation, does this team have enough gas in the tank to get a win Monday and then make this a series again?
DAMIAN LILLARD: It starts with one. You know, we still got another game on our floor, and that's a solid start for us. You know, we can't look at, I guess, Game 5 or Game 6 or any of that. We've just got to get one. We're confident that we can do that and then once we do that, we build from there.

Q. Draymond Green was pushing the ball out every time he could. What could you do better in transition defense for the next game?
DAMIAN LILLARD: I think just understanding that after he does it one or two times, you've got to recognize the trend.

I thought tonight, especially in the first half, we just kept being surprised by it. The game was going in our favor, so I don't think you pay as much attention to it when, you know, you're up six, seven, eight, whatever we were up in the first half. Sometimes even double-digits, you don't see it as much of a problem as it is, but I think because he was able to keep getting it out quick, pushing it at us, drawing fouls, getting to the rim, that just got him in a good rhythm, got his confidence up really high, and so in the second half, when other guys started to make shots and they got back into the game, it really hurt us, all because of how we allowed them to get in that type of rhythm.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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