The Trail Blazers’ six-game winning streak came to an end agains the Wizards on Saturday. The contest featured a tight exchange of leads in the final frame and a series of officiating decisions that captured the attention of Damian Lillard.
After the game, NBC Sports Northwest’s Chris Burkhardt highlighted Lillard’s comments regarding the quiet whistles in the final minute. The former Weber State star explained that he is not putting on a show to get foul calls. Instead, he is battling through noticeable contact.
“For me, it’s just frustrating how physical people can be when defending me in certain situations. In our last road trip, I had back-to-back games with five fouls, about to foul out just playing normal defense,” said Lillard after the game. “I’m going to the rim getting smacked in the head. I’m getting grabbed. Getting slapped on the arms. Getting pushed in the back. I mean, that’s the frustrating thing for me. I’m not out here flopping and trying to trick the referees or things like that. I’m trying to score and getting hit in the head.”
Outside of officiating concerns, Portland’s poor shooting from the field played a large part in Saturday’s loss. The Blazers connected on just 35.9 percent of their attempts from the field. Despite those less-than-ideal team numbers, Lillard managed to record 35 points against the Wizards.
The Blazers return to action on Monday for a matchup against the Suns.
