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The Los Angeles Lakers are tasked with slowing down Damian Lillard in their first-round matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers. It's a tall order, as the former Weber State standout has been on a tear of late, leading his team to the eighth and final seed in the Western Conference with an onslaught of offensive production.
Lillard has been a monster in the bubble, with games of 42, 51 and 61 points recently tucked under his belt. In Saturday's play-in victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, the five-time All-Star racked up 31 points, 10 assists, and sank all 14 of his shots at the stripe. And thanks in large part to his play, Portland managed to post a 7-2 record at Disney's complex in Florida to close out the regular season.
“He’s ballin’ right now,” Lakers star Anthony Davis said of Lillard, via The Athletic.
Anthony Davis wasn't the only member of the Lakers to praise Lillard's level of production in Portland's hunt for the 8th seed.
“The hottest player in the league,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said, referring to Lillard.
Behind the solid play of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, the Blazers are one of the hottest teams in the league right now. However, their claim to the eighth seed in the West was hard-fought, as they only just survived against the Memphis Grizzlies in their play-in game. Still, Vogel knows Portland is a dangerous team, and he isn't taking them lightly.
“Definitely not your typical eighth seed,” Vogel said on Sunday.
The Lakers know what they're up against in the Blazers, but how are they preparing for this matchup? Kentavious Caldwell-Pope says he's been watching footage of Dame in recent games with a keen eye, just in case he's called on in defense.
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“I was watching how most teams played Dame,” Caldwell-Pope said. “Just doing the scouting. See if I could add that to me guarding him as well.”
Danny Green and Alex Caruso will also have the unenviable task of guarding Lillard, who averaged 36 points in three games against the Lakers in the regular season.
Unfortunately, the Lakers will be without one of their key role players for the opening round of the playoffs: Rajon Rondo. The former Kentucky Wildcat has been dealing with a broken thumb since the team's first practice in the bubble.
He rejoined the team last week following a surgical procedure and is expected to clear quarantine on Monday, according to The Athletic. However, he'll likely be out of commission until at least the second round, leaving Los Angeles without one of its best defenders.
“He’s not going to be on the floor with us, but he’s going to be there helping us out,” Davis said of Rondo. “So that’s a good sign.”
It's also worth noting that the Lakers will be without Avery Bradley, who decided to opt out of the season re-start to this season. Still, Vogel remains confident in the talent at his disposal.
“I have great confidence in the guys that we have here in the bubble with us,” Vogel told The Athletic. “So we’re not thinking about who’s not here. We’re thinking about the guys that are here and very confident in their abilities.”
Will the Lakers be able to turn back the Dame Time clock in this first round playoff matchup? Game 1 is to tip at 9:00 p.m. ET on Monday night, with TNT having live broadcast coverage.
