Lillard clarifies comments about sitting out: Play-in 'would be perfect'

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Damian Lillard clarified Wednesday that he's not against playing non-playoff games once the NBA returns to action, so long as his Portland Trail Blazers can earn a shot at the postseason.

"I mean, I felt like the way the story was written, it was taken out of context because it was a casual conversation," Lillard told ESPN's "Jalen & Jacoby."

"And it was like 'expletive this, expletive that,' but it wasn't a demonstrative statement."

Lillard said earlier this week he could sit out games depending on the format under which the NBA season resumes.

"If we come back and they're just like, 'we're adding a few games to finish the regular season,' and they're throwing us out there for meaningless games and we don't have a true opportunity to get into the playoffs ... I'm not going to be participating. I'm telling you that right now," he said. "And you can put that (expletive) in there."

He elaborated Wednesday, saying he wants to be sure his team's efforts aren't pointless.

"Obviously as players, we want to play, but we want to play for something -especially if we're in position to play for that in the first place."

The Blazers would need to play for something. Portland was three-and-a-half games out of the Western Conference's eighth and final playoff spot when the league suspended play on March 11.

Under multiple reported scenarios for a return, the Blazers could be included in a play-in round to advance to the postseason.

"I feel like a play-in tournament would be perfect, just because we actually were in striking distance and also had enough games to get in the playoffs," Lillard said. "But to that point, if they did decide that we're just gonna go straight to the playoffs, obviously we would all be disappointed."