Who is 'Flip' and how did Damian Lillard react to Patrick Beverly mocking 'Dame Time' celebration?
On Sunday night, Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers were on the wrong end of a major comeback. Despite being up by nearly 30 at one point, they suffered a 121-112 loss to LeBron James and the LA Lakers.
Following the game, Lakers guard Patrick Beverley had some thoughts on the performance. He felt he did not get enough credit for the way he defended against Damian Lillard in the game. Instead, the narrative was just that he had an off-shooting night.
After seeing these comments, Lillard took to Twitter with his response. He referred to Beverley as the character Flip from the movie Above the Rim, a '90s basketball classic that featured a star-studded cast. Flip was a homeless person played by famous comedian Bernie Mac.
Con man. Flip from above the rim twitter.com/ballislife/sta…
Lillard likely went out of his way to respond to Beverley because of the latter's actions during the matchup. Once the Lakers had clawed themselves back into the game, the veteran point guard was seen mocking the famous "Dame Time" celebration done by the Blazers star.
Pat Bev clowning Dame Time 😂😂😂 https://t.co/dtGZlA3wNg
Beverley played 28 minutes in the win and recorded four points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals.
How did Damian Lillard fare against Patrick Beverley?
Despite dropping 24 points, six rebounds and ten assists, it was a night to forget for Damian Lillard. The Portland Trail Blazers star shot just 29.4% from the field and an abysmal 23.1% from beyond the arc. Nearly half of his points against the LA Lakers came from the free-throw line.
Throughout the game, Patrick Beverley spent close to eight minutes as the primary defender on Lillard. In that time, he shot 2-7 from the field and 1-6 from beyond the arc. Given that Lillard only converted five field goal attempts on the night, Beverly was one of the main players he had success against.
Beverley has made a living in the NBA with his defense, so it is not surprising he is on the mic trying to get credit. Lillard is among the best scorers in the league, and he did manage to slow him down enough for his team to win. The Lakers veteran deserves some credit even if it was a poor shooting performance.
For Lillard, the response likely stemmed from built-up frustration. Considering how things went down for him and the Blazers that night, hearing more trash talk after indeed put him over the edge.