In Win over Lakers, Damian Lillard Spreads Belief in New Brand of 'Hero Ball'

"Hero ball is when you try to make it about yourself," Lillard said. "Or you try to take it all upon yourself."

Lillard knows about and prides himself on leading the league in total fourth-quarter scoring, per NBA.com. He relishes taking and making clutch shots.

And the root of all that, he said, is pure will to win a team game.Lillard believes he can tell when that isn't the case, when other players are chasing solo glory.

"I think that by the kind of emotions that they show, you can tell who's really doing it for the team and who's really feeling, like, 'All eyes on me,'" Lillard said. "You can tell by how they go about handling it. Honestly, I was just trying to win the game. I was scared there was a possibility we let this one slip."

Lillard was answering questions late Monday night about taking over a game because he'd just taken another one over.

He absolutely willed the Portland Trail Blazers—an increasingly common occurrence in Lillard's two-plus NBA seasons—to a 98-94 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Lillard scored 16 points in the final five minutes and 12 seconds. Before Lillard went about that business, the Lakers led 83-76.

Lillard's teammates understood the magnitude of his shot-making."He rose to the occasion," said Wesley Matthews. "Took us over that hump."


Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2320752-in-win-over-lakers-damian-lillard-spreads-belief-in-new-brand-of-hero-ball