Damian Lillard has been reduced to a shell of himself, seemingly nullified from the volcanic version of himself he showed in the Portland Trail Blazers first-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Denver Nuggets have stalemated his isolation game, as well as closed down the spaces on the perimeter that make him such a sniping threat.
“I think it's obvious: They're trying to show bodies and make me play in a crowd,” said Lillard of the Nuggets' defensive tactics, according to Royce Young of ESPN.
Following a 39-point effort in Game 1, the Nuggets honed in on Lillard, who had been the hero in the previous series. Denver shut him down effectively, as he has yet to shoot above 50% since Game 1 and has only made five of his 23 attempts from long-range since his series debut.
Lillard has now been forced to adapt on the fly, which will be a massive part of what his postseason life will be if he progresses past the Western Conference Semifinals.
“Find the open man, that's what I'm trying to do,” said Lillard. “Trying to see where the help is coming from, see where the other guy is coming from and make that play. And still just find a way to be aggressive and look for shots. Don't let them turn me into a passive player. I can definitely see them trying to be a little more aggressive and have more bodies around me.”
The Blazers will now have an uphill battle, forced to win at least one game on the road in order to win the series, tied 2-2 after Sunday's 116-112 loss.
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