Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum were unbelievable in Portland’s Game 1 loss to the Golden State Warriors, doing any and everything to battle the league’s best team for every inch. But in the end, their best simply wasn’t good enough against an energized Warriors team eager to redeem themselves after last season’s Finals fizzle. Throw in some Draymond Green trash talk throughout that loss and Lillard has all the fuel he needs, writes Joe Freeman of The Oregonian:
There was a little trash-talking, a flurry of incredible offensive performances, a game-sealing run and a whole lot of Draymond Green.
But hidden beneath the highlights of an entertaining slugfest between the Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, there was also a surprising discovery.
This best-of-seven series might just end up being more competitive than anyone thought.
The underdog Blazers went toe-to-toe with the supposedly unbeatable Warriors for three quarters Sunday afternoon before stumbling in the fourth quarter and falling 121-109 to the Western Conference champions at Oracle Arena.
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At the center of the beat-down was Green, the bombastic matchup nightmare loved by Warriors fans and loathed by everyone else. Green terrorized the Blazers in Game 1, finishing with 19 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists, five blocks, three steals and too much trash-talking to count. Included in the 37-minute personal highlight reel that showed why he’s the leading contender for Defensive Player of the Year were two especially incredible blocks.
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He also affected the game with his relentless tongue. There was a heavy dose of trash-talk between the teams Sunday and much of it seemed to be spearheaded by Green, who has never been shy about antagonizing opponents. In the second quarter, Lillard and Green jawed back and forth on the perimeter as Green took a break in between free throw attempts. Another time, when the teams were going their separate ways during a timeout, Green chirped at Harkless and Turner, which snowballed into a four-person jaw-fest that eventually included Durant.
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If anything, Lillard said, Green’s taunting provided a boost.
“I think (Green) raises the level of the game,” Lillard said. “I don’t even talk trash and he was saying so much out there that I had a whole lot to say (Sunday). I think that’s just good for the game. I think the league has softened up a lot. He’s not like that. So you better have a rough guy like him out there. I think it’s necessary and I think their team, they depend on him to be that dog out there, to be that person. For me, it’s just going to make me raise the level of my game. I take it as a challenge.”
