Powell on Blazers’ First-Quarter Defense, “We Were Getting Punked”

The Portland Trail Blazers surrendered 47 points to the Clippers in the first 12 minutes of Tuesday’s loss. Norman Powell, who recorded 32 points of his own against Los Angeles, sounded off on Portland’s poor defensive effort after the game.

NBC Sports Northwest’s Lindsey Wisniewski highlighted Powell’s postgame comments. According to the former Raptors guard, Damian Lillard voiced his displeasure with the Blazers’ lack of defense in a first-half huddle.

“We have to come out and be physical,” Powell said. “I think Dame said it first. They way we were playing they were taking advantage of how soft we were being on the defense end. We were getting punked. Him getting on us like that in the huddle motivated us. We came out of the time out and went on that run, but it shouldn’t take that, or your star guy coming out and getting on it, we gotta have that mindset at the start of the game, and coach said it again at the end of the game, you can’t give a team like that a 26-point lead.”

The Blazers have dropped two of their last three games and face another test against the Jazz on Thursday. You can read the full story from Wisniewski at NBC Sports Northwest.