Oklahoma City is brash, a reflection of their best players. Russell Westbrook was talking throughout the series against Portland because, well, that’s Westbrook. Dennis Schroder was pointing at his watch — imitating Lillard time — as the Thunder won Game 3. Paul George threw down a dunk (just after the buzzer expired) rather than dribble out the end of the Thunder win.
Damian Lillard saw it all.
Inside he was fuming, in a rage that continues as he waved goodbye to the Thunder after hitting a historic jumper. He told Jason Quick of The Athletic what went through his mind as the shot fell through the net.
Wednesday, Lillard posted this to Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BwpUza1gmIc/
Lillard was boiling over the night before the final game of this series, at his home in Portland, as Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports details in a must-read piece on Lillard dropping the mic on OKC.And what came out of Westbrook’s mouth during a few of his post-basket outbursts was the B-word, something most players wouldn’t dismiss without an altercation.
“The way I see it, it’s basketball,” Lillard told Yahoo Sports. “I know I ain’t no b-----ass mother------; so it doesn’t bother me. If they think I am, then we can take it off the court and find out for sure.
“I’m not out here to prove to these dudes that I’m the hardest mother------ in the league because they cussed at me on the court. But they know where I’m from and what I’m about. This Oakland. But I don’t take s--- personal. My goal is to get the win.”
Lillard won. He outplayed Westbrook.
Coach Terry Stotts had pulled Lillard off the court before the end of Game 4, a 13-point Portland win on the road, and Lillard said that was probably good because if he had been on the court he might have jacked up a 30-footer at the buzzer to send a message. Instead, he waited a game. And Monday night Lillard said this:
Drop. The. Mic.