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In the final minutes of Game 2 between the Portland Trail Blazers and Oklahoma City Thunder, Steven Adams set a strong screen on Damian Lillard. Lillard was blindsided, not knowing the screen was coming, and he exchanged words with Adams after the fact. In postgame interviews, Steven Adams said (via ESPN’s Royce Young):
“That was just a weird situation. It might’ve hurt but it’s not my problem really. It’s his big man to let him know there’s a screen there but he got upset with me.”
NBA legend Charles Barkley called out Adams’ screen on TNT’s postgame show, saying that while the screen was a “good play,” it was also “bush league”:
"It's a good play but it's a bush league play."
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) April 17, 2019
Charles Barkley's reaction to Steven Adams' pick on Damian Lillard.
(Via @RoyceYoung, @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/43oGbX4OLz
This incident just adds to the growing intensity between these two teams. They will face off in OKC for Game 3 on Friday.