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Paul George managed to contest Damian Lillard's shocking 37-foot buzzer beater to close out their first round series.

"That's a bad, bad shot," said George. "I don't care what anybody says. That's a bad shot. But hey, he made it. That story won't be told that it was a bad shot. We live with that."

Lillard explained his thought process leading to the shot.

“I didn’t want to put it in the referee’s hands – where if there was contact and maybe they get away with contact or I end up having to take a tougher shot because there’s contact and they don’t want to decide the game," said Lillard. "When I was standing there, I was like I’m going to shoot it. He was a little bit off of me and I was like this is enough space for me to just raise up and shoot it for game. At the last second, he stepped towards me a little bit and I was like, okay I’m going to pound-dribble, side-step and raise up. I just had to let it fly, shoot the ball high in the air to give it a chance and that’s what I did."

Via Royce Young/ESPN

... by a Bad, Bad Man.

PG's not wrong. He did a good job contesting the shot. My initial reaction to Dame pulling from so deep was "WTF is that?!"...until it splashed lol.

I saw Paul George make take and make that same same shot in a Gatorade commercial once.

PG could've step 2 steps closer to Dame, would've made his shot much tougher. Too much space was given but the defense was fine in today's nba standard.

Although, they don't call him logo lillard for nothing

George was right. That's a really bad shot that just happened to go in. Anytime you force someone to take a 37-foot step back three, you've done your job as a defender.

lolwut wrote:George was right. That's a really bad shot that just happened to go in. Anytime you force someone to take a 37-foot step back three, you've done your job as a defender.

I do agree with you. But on the Nate Duncan pod I just heard Lillard was 5 of 5 from 35 feet plus. I guess at some point (say the 4th Q of a 5th game) you have to adjust.

But conventional wisdom is on the side of PG.

wrong. dame is shooting 8/12 form beyond 30ft! in the playoffs! against any defender they put on him. it didn't happen to go in anymore than a contested step back 3 by ( cough, cough) PG13, HAPPENS to go in.
take the L with grace and stop hating. you got your asses kicked!

Caese wrote:

lolwut wrote:George was right. That's a really bad shot that just happened to go in. Anytime you force someone to take a 37-foot step back three, you've done your job as a defender.

I do agree with you. But on the Nate Duncan pod I just heard Lillard was 5 of 5 from 35 feet plus. I guess at some point (say the 4th Q of a 5th game) you have to adjust.

But conventional wisdom is on the side of PG.

5 is hardly a sample size worth drawing conclusions on.

Danny11 wrote:

Caese wrote:

lolwut wrote:George was right. That's a really bad shot that just happened to go in. Anytime you force someone to take a 37-foot step back three, you've done your job as a defender.

I do agree with you. But on the Nate Duncan pod I just heard Lillard was 5 of 5 from 35 feet plus. I guess at some point (say the 4th Q of a 5th game) you have to adjust.

But conventional wisdom is on the side of PG.

5 is hardly a sample size worth drawing conclusions on.

I agree in the context of an 82 game schedule. But you don't get the luxury of large samples in a playoff series.

I'm not saying guys have to guard Lillard for 40 foot step-back bombs all game long. But in short clock situations, that has to show up on a scouting report/time out briefing, no?

Should ask Russ why he keeps missing 20 footers when the guard on the other team makes 40 footers.

That's a bad, bad shot.. and I made a bad, bad decision by teaming up with a bad, bad teammate.

Dame has been hitting those all year like Steph Curry a couple of seasons ago. ESPN just wrote a piece about it:

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/26593473/nope-damian-lillard-series-winner-bad-shot

PG13 didn’t get the memo?

He should have gotten up ealier, with 2-3 seconds on the clock to force Dame to drive and take a shot off the dribble. If you wouldn’t give Curry that much space, you shouldn’t give 2018 Dame this much space. Plain and simple.

That was on OKC’s and PG13 preparation and awareness.

Also funny how PG13 doesn’t own it up and keeps claiming “Dame just hit a bad shot”.

C'mon Paul why are you making excuses. You didn't live up to your expectations. Plain and simple

I don't know if it's a bad shot so much as overrated.

Good shot/Bad shot makes no difference when the end result was win or OT. The big question is Lillard's post game comments about the Refs. They have been deplorable and biased when it suits them or City Hall. Not just this series but right across the play offs. He prefers to shoot a 37ft jumper/prayer rather drive and get contact and the refs refuse to call it. That right there should have alarm bells ringing. Because that is exactly what is happening. Or phantom calls where they see what they want to see and tv replays provide proof that CLEARLY no foul occurred.


I understand that no refs mean no games. But something needs to be done about these arrogant people as the game is not about them its about the players.

Rant over

Just take the L.

Caese wrote:PG's not wrong. He did a good job contesting the shot. My initial reaction to Dame pulling from so deep was "WTF is that?!"...until it splashed lol.

How is a player shooting 8-12 from that range for the series taking that shot considered a bad shot?

Revived wrote:

Caese wrote:PG's not wrong. He did a good job contesting the shot. My initial reaction to Dame pulling from so deep was "WTF is that?!"...until it splashed lol.

How is a player shooting 8-12 from that range for the series taking that shot considered a bad shot?

12 shots is hardly enough to base on whether that is a bad shot or not.. but lillards thinking is also not wrong even if it was a 30 percent shot it may be more likely than a highly contested shot where the refs may let contact go.. The thunder never should of been in that position but they were.. PG was asked the question an answered honestly i mean he had Lillard settle for that long range a shot it went in you go too good..