"Why would I, he's one of the greatest of all time" - Chauncey Billups not concerned about Damian Lillard's shooting woes
Chauncey Billups has said he is not at all worried about Damian Lillard and the shooting woes he has shown this season. The 45-year-old heaped praise on Lillard and said that he was one of the greatest and, despite the fall in shooting, the 6-time All-Star has been a fantastic facilitator for the team.
To put this statement into numbers, Dame had a total of 11 assists in the Portland Trail Blazers victory over the Indiana Pacers. He is currently averaging 8.8 APG, which is the highest for him in his career. When asked if he was worried about Damian Lillard's shooting, Chauncey Billups, replied by saying:
"No... Why would I, he's one of the greatest of all time. He's still in his prime. He's not 38,39. I played this game for a long time and went through that myself."
Damian Lillard scored only 4 points in the game against the Indiana Pacers. He shot only 2-13 from the field and continued his misery from the three-point line. The 31-year-old went 0-6 from beyond the arc and failed to get a single free throw. When asked if the lack of shooting by Dame was part of any plan, Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said:
" That's never the go no... But you know, when the teams they hard hard show, they trap, they do a lot of different things and Dame is just programmed to play the game the right way."
"He's programmed to play the right way, so if he's not getting a lot of shots, because of they way they're playing, I respect the fact that he's like, " Alright cool, y'all take me away, y'all gotta deal with this dude, y'all gotta deal with CJ, with Norm. I mean his floor game is incredible. He took 11 assists and two turnovers and he's finding the right guys because so much attention is being put on him. He's doing a good job of finding the right guys and making easy plays."
Backcourt chemistry.
Dame finds CJ for tonight's @Moda_Health Assist of the Game 🎯 https://t.co/Ole1dQvSnj
CJ McCollum and Norman Powell combine for 52 points as the Trail Blazers secure a close win over the Pacers
The Portland Trail Blazers started the game brilliantly. They scored 24 points in the first quarter and contained their opponents to 19. The Blazers looked on fire in the second quarter as they scored some quick points to take a good lead. However, the Pacers showed some resilience and cut the lead to only 6 points going into halftime.
20+ points in 3 straight games as a Blazer: N🔥RM https://t.co/ubMxy9S9VO
When both teams returned after the break, the Pacers played with more intent. Domantas Sabonis was the main man for them, as he scored 19 points and secured 12 rebounds in the game. Going into the final quarter, the Pacers led the game 83-82.
That was when the Portland Trail Blazers showed up and put up a strong performance in the fourth quarter. They contained the Pacers to 23 points. Robert Covington nailed down some big three's for them. His 19 points on the night was a big help for the Blazers, as they ran away with a 110-106 win on the night.
LORD COVINGTON: CLUTCH https://t.co/TqOvjBLAF7
CJ McCollum and Norman Powell played brilliantly for the Blazers. The duo scored 52 points and looked to be at their best all game to give Portland their fourth win of the season. The team will next take on the Los Angeles Lakers at the Moda Center on Saturday. They will be hoping to put on a similar performance and get their campaign back on track with a win against the Purple and Gold.