Damian Lillard claps back at Clippers after being taunted for late misses: ‘You boys is chumps’

Following the win, Beverley and Clippers forward Paul George waved Lillard off the court, a reference to Lillard’s celebration following a series-clinching three-pointer over George that eliminated the Oklahoma City Thunder from the 2019 playoffs.

Lillard, who finished with 22 points on 10-for-23 shooting from the field Saturday, said the Clippers’ antics were inspired by his previous postseason successes.

“[George] experienced getting waved at last year,” Lillard said. “Patrick Beverley, I sent him home before at the end of a game [in 2014]. Paul George just got sent home by me last year in the playoffs. They know. The reason they’re reacting like that is what they expect from me. That’s a sign of respect. It just shows what I’ve done at a high clip more times than not. I’m not offended by it. If anything, it should just tell you how much it hurt them to go through what I put them through in those situations previously.”

In addition to eliminating George’s Thunder last year, the Blazers knocked out Beverley’s Houston Rockets in the 2014 playoffs thanks to Lillard’s series-clinching buzzer-beater.

“After I missed the first one, I heard them over there yelling,” Lillard continued. “That just shows what they expect from me down the stretch. They know what I do. [Beverley] saw it firsthand when I was a second-year player and he was in Houston. I’m sure he has a great memory of that.”

The postgame trash talk continued on Instagram, where George told Lillard he was “getting sent home this year” and Beverley added, “Cancun on three.”

Lillard replied to George: “Keep switching teams. Running from the grind. You boys is chumps.”

George has played for the Indiana Pacers, the Thunder and the Clippers since 2017.

The intense back-and-forth between the Blazers and Clippers was one of the first extended exchanges between rival teams in the NBA’s bubble. Without fans in the stands, Beverley’s taunts were clearly audible to players on the court and media members seated across the gym from the Clippers’ bench.

The Clippers’ celebrations were stoked by the fact that their bench unit was outplaying the Blazers’ starters down the stretch. Typical Clippers starters Kawhi Leonard, Montrezl Harrell and Beverley all sat out, while George, who scored a team-high 21 points in 28 minutes, did not play in the game’s closing minutes because Los Angeles (47-22) will soon be locked in as the West’s second playoff seed.

Meanwhile, Portland (32-39) is in a tight, five-team chase for the West’s final playoff spot. With three games to play, the Blazers are battling with the Memphis Grizzlies (33-37), San Antonio Spurs (30-38), New Orleans Pelicans (30-39) and Phoenix Suns (30-39) to claim a spot in the play-in round next weekend between the West’s eighth and ninth seed.

Source:WP