Damian Lillard is currently in the headlines following his trade request after spending 11 seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers. One of the best moments from his time with the Trail Blazers is Lillard’s 61-point scoring outburst vs. the Golden State Warriors in the 2019-20 NBA season.
Jordan Poole apparently fueled Damian Lillard’s breathtaking scoring night. JP trash-talked Dame, and it resulted in the Trail Blazers superstar destroying the Warriors on MLK Day. Lillard mentioned the altercation in a 2022 appearance on ‘The Colin Cowherd’ podcast.
“I really didn’t pay attention to him until maybe like two years ago,” Lillard said. “We played against Golden State, and Steph was hurt, Draymond was hurt. We was playing against them, and he wasn’t playing a lot of minutes, but he like did a move, and he like scored on me. He hit a shot, he hit a three, and he started talking s**t. And I was like, ‘I don’t talk s**t. I don’t say nothing, I just play. If somebody say something to me, I’ll say something back, but whatever.
“He said something, so I looked back, like what? I think I had like 40, but we lost at Golden State. Towards the end of the first half or whatever, I’m at the free throw line, and he’s just back there talking. So I turn to him, and I’m like, ‘Man, shut the f**k, like shut up. He was like, ‘Make me.’ So, my natural instinct was like, ‘Bro, I train in combat. I’m from Oakland. That was my natural. So, we start going back-and-forth.”
Lillard got his revenge against Poole on January 20, 2020. Dame had a slow start to the game, but following Poole’s trash talk, he erupted for 61 points.
“And then, like shortly after, we played them on MLK Day in Portland,” Lillard added. “And he was on the bench, and I started the game real slow. He’s on the bench, and he says, ‘Oh, he ain’t on s**t tonight.’ So I turn and look at him. Draymond is sitting next to him, and me and Draymond is real cool. In that game, I end up scoring 60 points, and we beat them in Portland, and I just remember telling Draymond, ‘Man, I don’t mess with that dude like that, like I don’t like him.'”
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Damian Lillard finished with 61 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists in the 129-124 overtime win against the Warriors. On the other hand, Jordan Poole had just 9 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists.
The game took place in Poole’s rookie year, and he has become a much better player since then. But Poole wouldn’t forget the result of his trash-talking in a hurry.
Jordan Poole will play the 2023-24 NBA season for the Washington Wizards after getting traded for Chris Paul. He averaged 20.4 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 4.5 APG last season.
Damian Lillard Shared His Thoughts On Jordan Poole’s Fight With Draymond Green
Draymond Green punching Jordan Poole ruined the chemistry of the Golden State Warriors for the 2022-23 NBA season. They struggled to find their groove throughout the season, and it’s no surprise that they failed to defend their title in the 2023 playoffs.
Damian Lillard opened up about the incident between the two stars. He was unfazed by the altercation, but seemingly took sides with Green.
At the end of the day, the Warriors made their choice between Poole and Green ahead of the 2023-24 NBA season. Green signed a four-year $100 million contract extension while Poole was shipped off to the Wizards.
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