Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard applauded Gary Payton II’s amazing defense following Saturday’s 136-119 home win vs. the Dallas Mavericks (4 steals).
(via Portland Trail Blazers):
“He’s just so disruptive. It was one stretch where it was like three straight plays, I’m like, ‘This dude keeps stealing the ball. I’ve never seen somebody just keep stealing the ball.’ So I do think he plays with a lot of joy and it makes sense. Coming from Golden State, I think they’re like the ultimate example of a team that just plays with joy. They play free, and it’s almost careless. We might win, we might lose, we’re just gonna enjoy it. I think he has that about him. I think that’s why he fit right in with Golden State, and I think he does bring that sort of joyous spirit to the team on the floor. You can feel that presence.”