The Portland Trail Blazers handily dispatched the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, 127-115, behind another 40-point game from star point guard Damian Lillard. It was a big night for Lillard, but the pressure to perform in a smaller role was on Portland’s newest addition Matisse Thybulle, who started in place of injured forward Jerami Grant in his Trail Blazers debut.
Thybulle excelled on the floor, notching 14 points while converting four of six three-point attempts and playing stellar defense. After the game, reporters asked him about his defense and whether or not he feels pressure to be the guy who makes the difference defensively in Portland.