After four straight losses, and before facing the Celtics, Damian Lillard had expressed resentment over the Blazers’ turn of the season. Since its good start to the season, Portland has been skating and falling behind in the play-in race, while other teams showed a much more attractive face.
“It’s obviously frustrating”, he assured for The Oregonian. “When you fight for something and look at the last two weeks, we have wasted several opportunities. And we look at the others… We see teams taking advantage of their chances, and not us. We are falling behind. »
This last sentence is also the perfect summary of the meeting against the Celtics. The 2022 finalists were on top the entire game and, in the final quarter, against a gloomy Portland side, the playmaker decided to take matters into his own hands.
“As we fought, we gave ourselves a chance at the end of the game”, he explains to the official website of the franchise. “When you try so hard to come back, it often ends like this. We get closer, then it’s over. To fight, to be competitive, is the minimum. And I think the team showed it, but it’s not enough to beat a team like Boston. »
“We still have four or five matches. They will decide what happens next.
The All-Star has spared no effort with 18 straight points to try to upset the Celtics. His effort (41 points) was in vain since the Blazers lost again, but he did not want to give up.
“I took part in matches like that, where we were ahead and even if we won, there was still a match”, he continues. “I looked at the clock and I said that with stops, throws, big shots, we could give ourselves a chance. I’ve always been like that: even when it seems too far, I give myself, I try, whether it’s possible or not. I never want to consider it over, especially if there are six or seven minutes left. »
This fifth straight loss for the Blazers has a significant impact on the standings. Thirteenth in the Western Conference, the Oregon franchise is 2.5 victories behind the tenth, the Lakers. If a qualification for the “play-in” is not yet buried, Damian Lillard and his gang, who still have twelve matches to play, have no more time to lose. The leader had also warned.
“We still have four or five matches”he announced a few hours before the duel against Boston. “They will decide what happens next. Then we will know where we are. »
This statement may echo the words of journalist Chris Hayes, close to Damian Lillard. According to our colleagueif the Blazers are out of the running by now “five or six matches”then the star could end his season before its end, so as not to take any physical risks.
| Damian Lillard | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2012-13 | ORP | 82 | 39 | 42.9 | 36.8 | 84.4 | 0.5 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 6.5 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 3.0 | 0.2 | 19.1 |
| 2013-14 | ORP | 82 | 36 | 42.4 | 39.4 | 87.1 | 0.4 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 5.6 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 2.4 | 0.3 | 20.7 |
| 2014-15 | ORP | 82 | 36 | 43.4 | 34.3 | 86.4 | 0.6 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 6.2 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 2.7 | 0.3 | 21.0 |
| 2015-16 | ORP | 75 | 36 | 41.9 | 37.5 | 89.2 | 0.6 | 3.4 | 4.0 | 6.8 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 3.2 | 0.4 | 25.1 |
| 2016-17 | ORP | 75 | 36 | 44.4 | 37.0 | 89.5 | 0.6 | 4.3 | 4.9 | 5.9 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 2.6 | 0.3 | 27.0 |
| 2017-18 | ORP | 73 | 37 | 43.9 | 36.1 | 91.6 | 0.9 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 6.6 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 2.8 | 0.4 | 26.9 |
| 2018-19 | ORP | 80 | 36 | 44.4 | 36.9 | 91.2 | 0.9 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 6.9 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 25.8 |
| 2019-20 | ORP | 66 | 38 | 46.3 | 40.1 | 88.8 | 0.5 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 8.0 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 2.9 | 0.3 | 30.0 |
| 2020-21 | ORP | 67 | 36 | 45.1 | 39.1 | 92.8 | 0.5 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 7.5 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 3.0 | 0.3 | 28.8 |
| 2021-22 | ORP | 29 | 36 | 40.2 | 32.4 | 87.8 | 0.5 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 7.3 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 2.9 | 0.4 | 24.0 |
| 2022-23 | ORP | 55 | 36 | 46.5 | 37.6 | 91.9 | 0.8 | 4.0 | 4.7 | 7.3 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 3.2 | 0.3 | 32.3 |
| Total | 766 | 36 | 43.9 | 37.3 | 89.5 | 0.6 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 6.7 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 2.8 | 0.3 | 25.2 | |
