The Portland Trail Blazers are onto the second round of the 2019 NBA playoffs, and they got there in just about the most dramatic way possible. In the closing seconds of Game 5 against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night, Damian Lillard pulled up from 37 feet and drained a series-winning buzzer beater, capping a historic 50-point night with one of the most clutch shots in NBA history. And as the dejected Thunder walked off the floor, Lillard waved good-bye. 

It was the perfect culmination to a feisty series, which continued the rivalry between the two teams, but more specifically, Lillard and Russell Westbrook. The two have been going at each other for years, but as Lillard said following Game 5, "that was the last word."

In a more in-depth piece, written by Yahoo's Chris Haynes, Lillard further explained why he was so eager to face Westbrook and the Thunder in the first round of the playoffs. 

"The reason I wanted this series is because if we really wanted to do something special, we needed a good test," Lillard said. "Coming off how we were swept last year by New Orleans, I wanted to face a team and an opponent that people thought we couldn't beat. I wanted to prove something from the jump. We needed a matchup that would potentially bring out the best of us. There were no excuses. We had every reason to be up for this."

In regards to his individual matchup with Westbrook, Lillard said he made a point not to get caught up in their one-on-one battle, but rather focused on winning. 

"I took it personal from the jump, but not in the sense of a one-on-one battle with Russ," he told Yahoo Sports. "Throughout the series, I never bought into the discussion of what people on the outside were saying about our so-called beef. It was never personal with me. I wasn't going to come down and try to match him shot for shot. I was trying to win.

"And it's not hard because it's OK to embrace the battle. But I wasn't emotional about it. It's cool because I know the game is still going to be the game regardless of what he's saying or doing. My team needs me to keep my cool and lead the right way. Nothing was going to get in the way of that."

An interesting note about Lillard's desire to meet the Thunder in the first round is that at the end of the regular season, it certainly seemed like the organization did not. They pretty much tried to lose their final game of the season, only to be thwarted by Anfernee Simons and the rest of the bench embarking on a 28-point comeback to beat the Kings. And really, it made sense, as the Thunder won all four games between the two teams in the regular season. 

But from a competitor's perspective, Lillard's reasoning makes plenty of sense. They were flat-out embarrassed by the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round last season, losing in a sweep that Lillard and Co. took a lot of heat for. It's easy to see how it was important for him and the team to not only get back to the playoffs this season, but make a statement when they got there. And what better way to do that than against a team that had swept them in the regular season, and were led by a point guard who's made it clear time and again he believes he's much better than Lillard.