PORTLAND, Ore. -- When you watch the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night, ignore the ripples of euphoria that occur each time Damian Lillard drills a 3-pointer launched from the crossroads of irrational and irresponsible. If your aim is to understand the connection Portland has with its best player, you're actually better off listening to the Blazers' home crowd in that brief half-second just before his feet leave the ground.
You can literally hear the crowd's collective intake of breath when Lillard sets his feet and pulls the ball back, almost as if fans are watching a giant wave build to a crest.