Aaron Gordon took on role of slowing down Damian Lillard in second half: 'I got him'

Damian Lillard had an unbelievable first half in Monday night's game, scoring 32 points while making eight three-point shots. But the Trail Blazers point guard was significantly slowed down in the second half, scoring only 10 points after Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon took on the responsibility of guarding him.

"Dame was going crazy in the first half. It almost looked like we didn't have an answer for him," Gordon said. "I looked at the coaching staff and said, 'I got him.'"

Denver ended up winning the game to tie up the series at 1-1, with Nikola Jokic scoring 38 points to help the Nuggets secure their victory. Lillard downplayed the idea of Gordon shutting him down, saying that the entire Denver team adjusted to his hot start.

"I think they just gave me more attention, more so than it was just one guy," Lillard told reporters. "I'm never going against one guy."

Denver head coach Michael Malone said that Gordon's defensive performance was one of the reasons the team traded for him during the season, as he welcomed the challenge of taking on one of the best scorers in the NBA.

"That's one of the reasons we brought AG here — that defensive versatility," Malone said. "Obviously, he embraced it. He wanted it."