” And Dame, it’s Dame in the endgame“. This is the end of the sentence of LeBron James who was asked why the Lakers lost to the Blazers. The Lakers winger listed the reasons, and he ended with “Dame is Dame”. Yes, even if Jerami Grant scored the winning basket three seconds from the end, Damian Lillard was the big man in Portland’s victory with 41 points, and in particular 12 points in a row in the last quarter! Portland is undefeated after three games, and Lillard therefore continues a second game at 41 points.
After missing 47 games last season due to pubalgia, we have confirmation that he is back in top form. “Obviously Dame is back and he’s putting the rest of the NBA on notice.” warns Chauncey Billups, obviously delighted to be able to count on his leader after a complicated first season.
Even if we expect more from him in the management of the game because he behaves first and foremost as a leader-shooter, Lillard remains a formidable attacker, and he signs 41 points at 15 out of 25 on shots, with a 6 out of 13 3-point. His hold on his team remains incredible. He conveys his self-confidence, and at no time did the Blazers panic. Like Jerami Grant, author of the winning basket while the Lakers defense was focused on Lillard.
“I said that in the first two games, and I know it’s very early in the season, but it’s just confidence. They were so on me… I had just scored an important shot. Jerami took it, and they gave him room to play. »
Less than ten seconds earlier, Lillard had actually planted the 3-pointer to allow Portland to go back in front (104-102). It was his 10th, 11th and 12th points in a row! As against the Suns, Lillard expected the Lakers to send a second defenseman on him, and he had planned to serve Anfernee Simons again. The Lakers chose to leave Lonnie Walker to his own devices, and Lillard punished him. His reaction, we all know it: he taps his wrist for “Lady Time”.
“I managed to find some space and find a shot where I was comfortable” summarizes Lillard. It does not take more to hit the mark, and we will finally find Lillard in defense, on the last shot, missed, by LeBron James. A leader leads by example, and Lillard did it by all means tonight, and Portland is in first place in the Western Conference.
| Damian Lillard | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2012-13 | ORP | 82 | 39 | 42.9 | 36.8 | 84.4 | 0.5 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 6.5 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 3.0 | 0.2 | 19.1 |
| 2013-14 | ORP | 82 | 36 | 42.4 | 39.4 | 87.1 | 0.4 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 5.6 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 2.4 | 0.3 | 20.7 |
| 2014-15 | ORP | 82 | 36 | 43.4 | 34.3 | 86.4 | 0.6 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 6.2 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 2.7 | 0.3 | 21.0 |
| 2015-16 | ORP | 75 | 36 | 41.9 | 37.5 | 89.2 | 0.6 | 3.4 | 4.0 | 6.8 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 3.2 | 0.4 | 25.1 |
| 2016-17 | ORP | 75 | 36 | 44.4 | 37.0 | 89.5 | 0.6 | 4.3 | 4.9 | 5.9 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 2.6 | 0.3 | 27.0 |
| 2017-18 | ORP | 73 | 37 | 43.9 | 36.1 | 91.6 | 0.9 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 6.6 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 2.8 | 0.4 | 26.9 |
| 2018-19 | ORP | 80 | 36 | 44.4 | 36.9 | 91.2 | 0.9 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 6.9 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 25.8 |
| 2019-20 | ORP | 66 | 38 | 46.3 | 40.1 | 88.8 | 0.5 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 8.0 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 2.9 | 0.3 | 30.0 |
| 2020-21 | ORP | 67 | 36 | 45.1 | 39.1 | 92.8 | 0.5 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 7.5 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 3.0 | 0.3 | 28.8 |
| 2021-22 | ORP | 29 | 36 | 40.2 | 32.4 | 87.8 | 0.5 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 7.3 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 2.9 | 0.4 | 24.0 |
| 2022-23 | ORP | 2 | 40 | 39.5 | 30.0 | 100.0 | 2.0 | 3.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 4.0 | 0.5 | 30.5 |
| Total | 713 | 36 | 43.7 | 37.2 | 89.3 | 0.6 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 6.6 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 2.8 | 0.3 | 24.6 | |
