Damian Lillard calls out teammates after Blazers' 45-point loss to Warriors
The fact that the Blazers lost to the Warriors at Oracle Arena on Saturday is unremarkable, at best. Golden State owns the best record in the league, and Portland entered the contest with a 5-11 road record, while being two games under .500 on the season overall.
But the way the Blazers lost is definitely cause for concern.
The Warriors led by 19 points at the end of the first quarter, and Portland put up little resistance the rest of the way, which led to a final score of 135-90 that can only be described as a humiliating result. And Damian Lillard was very direct in ripping the effort of his teammates afterward.
"Man, it's OK to turn the ball over, it's OK to make mistakes, but we have to play with some damn heart and compete out there," he said, via ESPN.
"This isn't about what the coaches are doing, this is on us," Lillard said to ESPN in retelling what he stated to his teammates. "We have to take responsibility for what's going on. This s--- is ridiculous. We've got the talent; we've just got to put it together consistently."