After the Portland Trail Blazers knocked off the Clippers in round one, Damian Lillard couldn’t contain his excitement about matching up against the Warriors in the second round. It wasn’t just about the challenge of facing the NBA’s best team, although that was a big part of it. It was also about the opportunity for the Bay Area native to play in front of his hometown crowd. And with that came a few off-the-court perks as well.
Lillard’s grandfather, Albert Johnson, was set to celebrate his 80th birthday last Saturday in Oakland, and since Lillard and the Blazers were able to put away the Clippers in Game 6 on Friday night, he was able to be in town for the occasion instead of having to stay in Los Angeles for Game 7 on Sunday. It’s something that gave him added motivation going in to that series-deciding showdown, via Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated:
Lillard made sure he was able to attend his grandfather’s party by earning 28 points, seven assists, five rebounds and four 3-pointers to lead the Blazers to a 106-103 series clinching victory last Friday. He said the party served as extra motivation during the game.
“It was perfect. I wanted to get that Clippers series done on Friday so I could make it to town,” Lillard said.
The Blazers’ point guard reportedly spent about four hours at the party, which was held at in local hotel ballroom near Oracle Arena, dancing and catching up with various family members, of which there were more than 200 who traveled from all over the country to be there. Lillard and the Blazers will try to get back on track against the Warriors in Game 2, which tips off Tuesday at 10:30 p.m. ET on TNT.
