D'Angelo Russell engaged Damian Lillard in a war of words and had to be separated. Lillard had shot 3 of 14 from the field and the Portland Trail Blazers held just a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Lakers. Lillard responded by scoring 13 points, including 11 in a row.

"[Russell] poked the bear and you seen what happened the rest of the game," Lillard said.

Lillard said that confrontation with Russell "absolutely" ignited his strong play.

"As far as that situation, since last game, he's been doing little slick elbows," Lillard said of Russell. "And I play the game clean. I'm from Oakland. I ain't with that extra stuff and nobody can just do what they want to me.

"I got called for a foul to start the third quarter for reaching in, but when I reached in the only reason there was contact is because his elbow came up again. After he blocked my shot, I was walking to my spot, and I felt like he went out of his way to get that elbow in there again. And I told him, 'That ain't gonna fly.' And I wasn't interested in anything else that was said after that. We ain't going to do it on the court so we'll be in the back and whatever happens, happens."