Yahoo Finance Missed FTs snowball into petty postgame drama between Damian Lillard, Paul George
The Portland Trail Blazers blew it on Saturday.
Drama ensued postgame.
The Blazers squandered a late five-point lead in a 122-117 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in a sequence that included a pair of stunning missed free throws from star guard Damian Lillard.
Beverley lights the fuse
Clippers guard Patrick Beverley — who sat with a calf injury — reveled in Lillard’s failure from the free-throw line. As did his Clippers bench mates.
Pat Bev trolling Damian Lillard after Lillard choked at the FT line
“DAME TIME” pic.twitter.com/94fGCbQU9k— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) August 8, 2020
The loss meant a lot more to the Blazers than the win did to the Clippers. Portland’s fighting in the bubble for its playoff life.
Lillard was raw postgame. And he was not having it with Beverley’s antics.
He shared some pointed words for Beverley in his media scrum. He also had a message for Paul George.
Lillard tees off
Damian Lillard on the antics of Patrick Beverly and Paul George down the stretch of today’s game. Lillard unloads. pic.twitter.com/NFgEiiVHVi
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) August 8, 2020
“Asking me about Patrick Beverley who — I sent him home before at the end of a game,” Lillard said. “Paul George just got sent home by me last year in the playoffs. So they know.
“The reason they reacting like that is because of what they expect from me, which is a sign of respect. It just shows what I’ve done at a higher clip more times than not. I’m not offended by it. If anything it should just tell you how much it hurt them to go through what I’ve put them through in those situations previously.”
Tell us how you really feel, Dame.
Lillard’s crowning highlight is the absurd 3-pointer he sank in last year’s playoffs to eliminate George’s former team, the Oklahoma City Thunder. It launched a run to the Western Conference finals and a meme that lives on to this day.
Now George is a member of the victorious Clippers.
He didn’t mention Lillard by name in his postgame news conference. But it was clear who was targeted with this jab.
George responds
Paul George: “Some people can play and talk and some people can’t.” (Video: @kylegoon) pic.twitter.com/sySByKpjJL
— Mirjam Swanson (@MirjamSwanson) August 8, 2020
“Some people can play when talking, some people can’t,” George said.
The pettiness didn’t stop there. Oh, no. It was just getting started.
Take it to social media
When George got wind of Lillard’s comments, he chimed in on Instagram.
Paul George leaves a comment 👇🏾 pic.twitter.com/yaGipFOAkl
— Taylor Rooks (@TaylorRooks) August 8, 2020
As did Beverley.
And Lillard wasn’t letting it slide.
George then weighed in again, this time taking a defensive posture in an Instagram story.
As for Beverley, champion troll and the instigator of all this beef?
He added this on Twitter.
Glory to GOD🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) August 8, 2020
The Clippers and Trail Blazers won’t play again in the regular season. It will take a conference finals matchup to deliver a playoff series between the two teams — which adds up to more than a long shot.
And that’s a shame. We’d like to see these two run it back again while emotions and stakes are still high.
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