Blazers Beat Nets With Strong Defense Down The Stretch

The Portland Trail Blazers notched their third win in a row by defeating the Nets in Brooklyn 116-104 on Friday. Damian Lillard led all scorers with 33 points, marking his third 30+ point performance in four games. CSNNW takes us inside the locker room for post-game statements.

Damian Lillard

I’ve been getting back in a rhythm and I think our team is just playing well. On offense our bigs are setting really good screens, our spacing is really good, we moving well without the ball, we sharing the ball and, like I always say, I get my shots up, I put my time in, and just keep my game tight. I’m just in one of those grooves where the game is just in flow. I just feel good out there. The waywe’re playing as a team only makes it easier.

How important was AC [Allen Crabbe] tonight?

He was huge. [Indiscernible] spark off the bench, but tonight, he was out there to close the game and got his hand on some balls like he always does. Each time it seemed like they were going to claw their way back into it and make it more of a fight than it was, he came up big with a shot, so he was huge for us.

Having a great season so far, do you look at yourself as a top-5 point guard in this league?

Yeah.

So what’s the other four? Who’s the other four?

I don’t know, but if it’s a five, I’m in it.

How about top-3?

I don’t know. You said top-5 and I’m in it. I’m in the top-5.

Allen Crabbe

I hit some big shots. Teammates found me and got me open. I got some in transition. I was just trying to pick it up defensively, come in and bring some energy off the bench in the second half, and I feel like it was a pretty solid game.

Terry [Stotts] said, particularly defensively in that 19-4 run, that he thought you did a very nice job guarding Joe Johnson. How do you feel you did on the defensive end?

I feel like I did pretty good. We was playing the Warriors, Clippers—those are games I was kind of frustrated with my defensive performance and it was something that I can’t let slip away. Last couple of games I just wanted to make it a conscious effort of you know, locked in and being in the right spots and making sure that my man didn’t score, so I feel like it was a pretty solid night.

When Dame plays at this level, I mean he’s always good, but when he plays at this level, what does that do for this team?

Man, you saw the way he took over the game. He couldn’t miss. I mean, obviously, we got some stops down defensively that we needed and he made some big shots for us, so that’s what we count on him to do, and he came through for us tonight. He’s playing at a high level right now and he’s going to keep it going.

Mason Plumlee

Your guys’ play—what’d you think stood out to you?

I thought we played very well offensively. In the fourth quarter we really turned it up and did a good job of sharing the ball.

Can you describe the way Damian’s been playing over the last three, four, five games?

He’s taking what’s given to him. He’s not forcing anything. He has, what, 34 points tonight? And he has 10 assists too, so that’s really a balanced game and he’s doing a good job of getting everybody involved.

Obviously it’s been a pretty crazy week around here, but how do you feel for the guys over there, generally where they are this week and in the season?

How do I feel for them?

Yeah, I mean, you know a lot of guys over there.

Yeah, no, I stay in touch with them. You know, it’s a tough situation when you lose your leadership, but you have veteran guys on that team, so I think Joe and Tony Brown is great too. He’ll take the reins and do a really good job.

Terry Stotts

Allen continues to be very consistent for us. I thought that last three he hit was very well contested, we just got to work on his break aways, you know, maybe elevate a little bit more, but no, defensively he’s—when we made our push, I thought obviously Damian led us at the offensive end and I thought AC was really good defensively.

What [indiscernible] defense did he do specifically?

You know, he was on Joe Johnson during that stretch. I thought he did a good job with tendencies, stayed attached, loose balls. I thought the whole group at that time had a little more urgency, but I thought he had a big part of it.

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