The short-handed Trail Blazers lost Game 1 of their first-round series with the Grizzlies on Monday, but that wasn't the leading story surrounding the game. Instead, a motivational card that included the phrase, "We don't lose to Spanish players", stole most of the headlines.
Portland forward Nicolas Batum took responsibility for the remark on Tuesday, saying he didn't mean to insult anyone, most notably the Grizzlies' Spanish center, Marc Gasol.
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"I apologize if I hurt some people," the Frenchman said before the Blazers' practice, according to ESPN.com's Michael Wallace. "But I have total respect for Marc Gasol. He knows that. We've talked about it sometimes."
Blazers guard Damian Lillard said the card was meant to stay private in the locker room, echoing that no offense was intended.
"It was something that was meant to stay among our team," said Lillard. "It's a rivalry between (Gasol and Batum's) national teams. It wasn't meant as any disrespect. And that's that."
As for Gasol, he dismissed the Blazers' remarks as a non-issue on Monday, and said more of the same Tuesday before Memphis' practice.
"I don't have no take," Gasol said. "And if I don't take anything out of it, I don't expect any of you guys [in the media] to take anything out of it. As far as I know, none of you guys are Spanish. So I hope nobody is bothered by that."
It appears that both parties involved have moved on as they prepare for their Game 2 meeting on Wednesday in Memphis.