"When I come out of it, it's going to be loud" - Damian Lillard on his shooting slump at the start of 2021-22 NBA season
Damian Lillard has hinted of explosive shooting brilliance once he gets back to his usual best. The 31-year-old has not been great from beyond the arc in the first five games this season. He is currently averaging only 26.2% from the three-point line, which is not what you would expect from someone like Dame.
Lillard started his season going 0-9 from beyond the arc in the Portland Trail Blazers' season opener against the Sacramento Kings. His dip in shooting continued for a few games, but things have started to look better for the six-time All-Star. In the win against the Clippers, he scored 25 points and went 5-7 from beyond the arc. When asked in the post-game press conference if he felt that he had overcome a shooting slump, Damian Lillard replied by saying:
"I mean, I would say is it's definitely trending out. You know I shot the ball well tonight. There was still some shots that I missed that I felt like I should've made.But I shot the ball well tonight, had a stretch in the thrid quarter of the last game and I just got to keep going in that direction. You know I'm saying, to me, I think, when I come out of it, I feel like it's going to be loud."
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Lillard is undoubtedly one of the best shooters in the game. However, having a bad stretch is pretty common for all basketball players. His performance against the Clippers was certainly a big motivation for him to keep it going. In continuation to his take about returning from the shooting slump, Lillard continued by saying:
"Usually when I shoot the ball poorly over a stretch, it's loud when I come under that. I never know when that's going to happen, but I just know myself and I know my history and I know the pattern of my game and my career. When I play well and I don't shoot well, when it click and when I do start to see the ball go in consistently and make a good shot and make a tough one, I know what that look like, everybody here knows what that looks like."
Damian Lillard's 25 helps the Portland Trail Blazers to a win against the Los Angeles Clippers?
The Portland Trail Blazers came into the game against the Clippers with a 2-2 record. They need a win in this game to help boost their morale for the stacked fixtures coming next week. Portland looked strong right from the tipoff. They scored 47 points in the first half and locked the Clippers on defense.
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Paul George was the only player, causing problems for the Blazers as he shot magnificently on the night to keep the Clippers in the game. However, a lack of support from his teammates led to their loss in the game. The Blazers outrebounded the Clippers. They grabbed 63 boards, as compared to the 43 boards won by the Clippers. This terrific performance by Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers helped them get to a 111-92 win on the night.