Damian Lillard has warning message for the Lakers

Damian Lillard isn’t afraid of the No. 1-seeded Los Angeles Lakers

To be fair, though, is Lillard really afraid of anyone? Fresh off an impressive run to the No. 8 seed, which included a win in the play-in game against the upstart Memphis Grizzlies, the Portland Trail Blazers are in a curious position. For the first time in awhile, the pressure is squarely off of Lillard and Co, instead transferred over to their first-round opponent in LeBron James and the Lakers. With this in mind, Dame Dolla is taking shots ahead of Tuesday’s much-anticipated Game 1.

Outside of Charles Barkley, not many in the NBA community are giving the Blazers much of a chance despite their recent run of success. Lillard couldn’t care less.

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“I mean, I think the reason why we competed so hard, the reason why we fought so hard to get into the playoffs is because we fee like we’re capable of doing anything. We can beat anybody, so now we just gotta get rested and get ready for the next thing. You know our work is just beginning,” Lillard said, per NBC Sports Northwest.

Lillard’s confidence comes from a positive place, as the Blazers overcame a 3.5 games deficit in the bubble, and the Weber State product won Bubble MVP. His last three games prior to the play-in contest, he registered 51, 62 and 41 points respectively. Even with CJ McCollum’s back injury, and the tragic loss of Jusuf Nurkic’s grandmother, the Blazers remain a dangerous force in part because they’re healthier than they’ve been at any point this season.

In terms of how this version of Portland matches up with James, Anthony Davis and Co., that remains to be seen, but the Lakers bubble struggles have been well-documented. Perhaps this won’t be as easy a 1-8 matchup as we’ve come to expect.