OAKLAND, Calif. — Damian Lillard is going to have to channel his grandfather, Albert Johnson. He’s going to need all the grit, resilience and endless energy of his 80-year-old family patriarch.
Because Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Warriors, a 118-106 win for the home team, showed Lillard will have to grind like never before if Portland has any chance. In his first playoff game as a pro in his hometown, the weight of taking down a giant rested on his shoulders. And the Warriors, for whom Lillard grew up rooting, are so good, the burden is tremendous.