At the beginning of the season, Portland TRail Blazers’ star Damian Lillard said that improvement on defense needed to start with himself, and in the final moments of the game against the Atlanta Hawks, Lillard showed his growth by drawing a charge on Trae Young. Jason Quick of the Athletic noted that drawing the charge was just one moment in an excellent game from Lillard, but it was a very valuable moment, and the significance wasn’t lost on Lillard.
“A play like tonight is a valuable play,” Lillard said. “It’s something we have talked about since training camp — selling out to the help, having our teammates back, and trusting that the next guy is going to do their job.