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Lillard Finds Ways to be Impactful Despite Tough Shooting Night

In the 82-game NBA regular season, Damian Lillard knows there will be an off night here or there. For example, take a game in Los Angeles last March against the Clippers when the All-Star point guard shot 1-of-13 from the field. Not to be limited by the tough luck shooting, Lillard stepped up in other facets of his game to grab 18 rebounds in an eventual 98-93 Trail Blazers win at Staples Center.

Flash-forward to Thursday's 118-101 preseason win over the defending champion Golden State Warriors in Portland, and Lillard was again forced to find other ways to have an impact on the game despite going 3-for-18 shooting. Fifteen of Lillard's 22 points in the victory came from the foul line, showcasing the point guard's continued assertiveness in the midst of a shooting slump. 

"Obviously, offensively I have to be aggressive, I have to be in attack mode every night and I was tonight," Lillard told reporters after the win. "There’s going to be nights where the shots don’t fall. I’m happy it happened in the preseason where I can get out there and get to certain spots on the floor and work on things, try to find the shots that I’m going to get to over the course of the season and I did. I was happy to see a lot of them went in and out and a lot of them felt good. Getting to the line is going to be big when those shots aren’t falling.”

As the only returning starter from last season and the Trail Blazers' franchise player going forward, Lillard knows he must take it upon himself to make an impact -- even if things aren't going his way shooting-wise. The former Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Star knows his teammates will now look to him to set the tone night-in and night-out.

"Shots aren’t going to fall some nights, you’ve still got to compete," he said. "I’ve still got to the leader and point guard of the team whether that’s rebounding, whether that’s getting my hand on a ball and getting out in transition, making a play for the next guy. But most importantly, it’s staying aggressive. The shots weren’t falling, but I just kept at it. You’ve got to continue to play."

Preseason play continues for Lillard and the Trail Blazers on Saturday in Sacramento.