While the Portland Trail Blazers were vocal about wanting to play the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs, guard Allen Crabbe wanted the matchup for his own reasons.
As the Blazers prepare for Game 2 of their series in Los Angeles, Crabbe tells Joe Freeman of The Oregonian that his family is a major motivation. Crabbe, who hails from Culver City, California and attended high school at a Christian campus created by his grandfather in Los Angeles, is staying with family as the Blazers challenge the fourth seeded Clippers.
A large portion of his family is attending the games, and provided relief for Crabbe after a rough Game 1, where he recorded just six points in 25 minutes.
"When I see them, it's not about basketball," Crabbe said. "I don't want to talk about basketball 24-7. I want to talk about what's going on in their lives, give them updates about what's going on in my life outside of basketball. That's my outlet."
Crabbe is in his third season with the Blazers after playing college basketball at the University of California. He is averaging a career-high 10.3 points and 2.7 rebounds off the bench, and finished 16th in this year's Sixth Man of the Year award voting.