With just nine games left to play, Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard is locked in on trying to beat out the Denver Nuggets for eighth place in the Western Conference. On Sunday, the Nuggets went up against the Pelicans, and Lillard wanted to make sure that the Nuggets took a loss.
He texted former teammate and current Pelican Tim Frazier, as well as Pelicans star power forward Anthony Davis, requesting that they beat the Nuggets. Davis and Frazier came through for Lillard, handing the Nuggets an embarrassing 25-point loss in New Orleans. Lillard was in a game of his own; the Blazers beat the Los Angeles Lakers 97-81. Right after the win, Lillard texted Frazier and Davis once more, confirming that the two did what Lillard had asked. From Cody Sharrett of NBA.com:
“They both said, ‘I got you,’ so I guess they’re a man of their word,” Lillard joked after Portland had seized its own opportunity to move back into the playoff picture with Sunday’s victory.
The race for no. 8 in the West is a close one; both the Blazer and Nuggets currently have 35-38 records.
The Blazers have won two of their three matchups with the Nuggets this season. The teams will face off again in a pivotal game in Portland on Tuesday night.
