Damian Lillard wasn’t ready to call it quits even as rumors of the Portland Trail Blazers planning to shut him down for the remainder of the season continued to do the rounds.
“I just love to play. I’m not ready to not play,” Lillard said, according to Blazers reporter, Danny Marang. “We’ve pretty much fallen out of the race for the 10th spot if you look at it truthfully. I love to play and I haven’t been ready to give that up. But there does come the point where that game of chess becomes a reality.”
“I just love to play. I’m not ready to not play. We’ve pretty much fallen out of the race for the 10th spot if you look at it truthfully. I love to play and I haven’t been ready to give that up. But there does come a point where that game of chess becomes a reality” -Lillard
— Danny Marang (@DannyMarang) March 20, 2023
The point guard’s comments come on the back of Portland’s 117-102 loss to the LA Clippers. Lillard finished with 21 points on a rather surprising 4-of-17 shooting from the field, and a 1-of-8 from beyond the arc.
Couple this with his 7 boards, and 9 assists, and it wasn’t enough to get the team over the line as they further slipped out of the playoffs race. On the game front, Jusuf Nurkic had 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists. For LA, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George scored 24 and 29 points respectively.
How Has Damian Lillard Fared For The Trail Blazers This Season?
The 32-year-old has been a force for the Blazers this season, although the results haven’t necessarily gone the team’s way. In the 57 games, he’s suited up this season, then sharpshooter has averaged 32.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 7.2 assists while shooting 46.3% from the field and 37.3% from the three-point range. His stellar season includes eight 40+ point games and two 50+ point games.
The season also marks Lillard playing more games than the previous season and is the second year in a row that the franchise won’t make the postseason.
The Blazers are placed 13th in a packed Western Conference with a 31-40 record and face an uphill task to make the playoffs, and perhaps shutting down Lillard might be a bad ploy if they intend to sneak their way in.
In addition to wins, the Blazers will also need a few other results to go their way, effectively casting a more dampening note on their playoff campaign. With another below-par season, it remains to be seen if Lillard might still consider taking the floor for Portland next season.
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