Damian Lillard didn’t want his Blazers to fall below the 50% win mark. Back after two weeks of recovery, the leader contributed to his team’s victory over the Pacers, allowing Portland to keep its positive record (13 wins – 11 losses).
” Feels good, especially after last night (Editor’s note: victory on the Jazz floor). We got a big win. I wanted to encourage the team and bring that energy to put us on a winning streak. I felt normal, fine. This time it wasn’t as bad as the first time (when returning from injury earlier in the season). I was more patient, I didn’t feel limited at all », does he deliver after the meeting.
After a strong start to the season, the Blazers had a tough second half of November with just two wins in ten games. This bad passage coincided with the injury of the star of the team, affected by a contracture in the calf.
If his absence has had a negative impact on the collective dynamic, it has on the other hand had favorable effects for the two other main attackers of the team, Jerami Grant and Anfernee Simons. The former recently peaked at 44 points at Madison Square Garden, while the latter exploded with 45 units against the Jazz. So much so that the two, the time of the passage to the infirmary of their leader, each shot at… 29 points on average!
“Don’t let me stop you from being aggressive”
Damian Lillard therefore did not want to brutally break their good form. ” Don’t let me stop you from being aggressive he told them. ” I’m going to have the ball in hand and I’m going to find opportunities to do my thing. I just wanted to find the rhythm, to see how I felt. Being out for so long I was able to see certain things and felt like I could impact the team right away, getting the ball around, creating situations for guys to keep going. ‘Express “, develops the All-Star.
Mission accomplished since Jerami Grant finished top scorer with 28 points (9/21 on shots) and Anfernee Simons with 22 units (8/14), while the leader planted 21 points (7/16) with 6 assists and 4 rebounds , and a +30 to score when in play.
” I didn’t want to try to go too hard. I also wouldn’t say that I wanted to make the game easier, but I tried to create situations and be more ‘manipulative’ than too aggressive and too forceful. I think it paid off for me “, continues Damian Lillard, before concluding, about his two teammates:” We have all played 40 points this season, it shows what we are capable of. For me, it’s a luxury. »
| 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 | 11 | 35 | 42.2 | 33.3 | 87.5 | 0.9 | 3.4 | 4.3 | 7.0 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 3.8 | 0.3 | 26.3 |
| Total | 722 | 36 | 43.7 | 37.2 | 89.2 | 0.6 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 6.7 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 2.8 | 0.3 | 24.7 | |
