Portland’s 101-82 rout of Cleveland on Tuesday saw something the Blazers had missed through three games this season.
The assertive Lillard.
The creative Lillard.
The cold-blooded Lillard.
Lillard entered Tuesday shooting 26.8 percent from the field and averaging 13.7 points a game, well below his career average of 19.7 points.
On Tuesday, Lillard scored 27 points along with a team-high seven assists. He was 6 of 13 from the field, including 5-for-10 from 3-point range, and hit all 10 of his free throws.
Not surprisingly, the Blazers offense as a whole followed suit, hitting nearly 50-percent of its shots.
“I thought he ran the floor like a general,” Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge said. “He spread the ball around and took good shots. He didn’t try to go find the game. He let it come easy to him.”
Lillard was selective in what shots he took in the first half, when his shots were a mix of uncontested threes and drives to the hoop that drew fouls.
By halftime, Lillard was 3 of 5 from the field, all 3-pointers, and 6 of 6 from the foul line for 15 points.
As the game went on, you could almost see Lillard grow more comfortable. In Portland’s first second-half possession, he got by Kyrie Irving and the 3-point line and threw down a one-handed dunk.
Lillard has fared well against Irving, who was given a Team USA nod over Lillard this summer. He scored 36 and 28 points in two matchups last year.
Irving, on the other hand, was 3 of 17 from the field for nine points while largely being guarded by Lillard.
“He was terrific at both ends of the court, Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. “You don’t have to ask ‘What’s wrong with Damian?’ anymore.”
LeBron voices frustration
After being held to 11 points Tuesday, LeBron James voiced frustration at Cleveland’s 1-2 start.
He feels like the entire culture around the Cavaliers has to change.
“There’s been a lot of losing basketball around here for a few years,” James said. “A lot of bad habits have been built up over the last couple years. … For me, it’s like building a car up from scratch. I’ve done it before. I hated the process. But once it was finished, I was excited about it.”
Stotts-Blatt connection
Stotts knew of David Blatt long before the first-year NBA coach came to Cleveland.
Seven years ago, Blatt was building a reputation as one of Europe’s top basketball coaches. Stotts had just finished a two-year stint coaching the Milwaukee Bucks.
Stotts took a three-week tour of Europe to pick the brains of three top coaches.
He spent a week with Blatt in Istanbul, Turkey.
Stotts said what he learned on that trip greatly influenced his zone-offense scheme that the often Blazers run.
“It’s a different game, a different style,” Stotts said of European basketball. “I’ve picked up things along the way, X’s and O’s offense.”
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