"Disrespected" Blazers Excited About Playoff Series With Clippers

Erik Gundersen of The Columbian wrote about the Blazers' upbeat attitude in the locker room after Wednesday night's regular-season finale victory over the Denver Nuggets. Now free to discuss their season-long adventure, the Blazers talked about the feelings of disrespect from around the league, and their excitement about a chance to play their recent nemesis, the Los Angeles Clippers.

"Even from preseason man, the last preseason game we had against them, you saw the incident our coach had with the other coach," Crabbe said in reference to a shouting match between Stotts and Clippers coach Doc Rivers in the preseason. "Dame, immediately after that game he said this is going to be a season where it’s just us against everybody."

"All their expertise about what we were going to do this season and I think that’s the thing that not just me, but everybody remembered," Allen Crabbe said of the outside expectations for the Blazers this season. "One person picked us 15th out of 15 in the West. The list goes on. I just feel like everybody, we were like, we feel disrespected. That’s not what our season is going to be."

Damian Lillard also discussed his feelings after a big night, breaking Wesley Matthews' Blazer career three-point record, passing Jim Paxson on the career assists list, and finishing with a scoring average over 25 points per game.

"Anytime you break a record like that, part of an organization like this, it’s an honor," Lillard said. "I’ve been here 4 years now and it’s come a lot quicker than I would have called. But it’s an honor to be at the top of the list."

He also discussed Pat Connaughton's extended minutes, Lillard's playoff advice for his young teammates, and the general anticipation about returning to Staples Center, the site of some memorable events with the Clippers this season.