DALLAS - In the Trail Blazers' nearly deserted locker room on Saturday, the NBA playoffs started with a steely stare and a sharp tongue.
The eyes belonged to point guard Damian Lillard, and his tongue spit fire bright enough to be seen as far as Beale Street in Memphis.
The subject was his defense. And his impending matchup with Memphis point guard Mike Conley, who was exceptional, if not great, against the Blazers this season.
The pre-series chatter figures to center on how Lillard's defense can't slow Conley. Memphis won all four meetings this season, and Conley played in three of the games, where he averaged 18.