"You just gotta let the ball fly," said Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard after winning his third 3-point shootout, becoming just the third NBA player ever to accomplish that.
Dame is such a good shooter that he can win the 3-point shootout without playing an actual game all year. His shot looked just as smooth and efficient as we all remember it. No wasted movement at all, just buckets. After nearly a year on the bench, it still takes just one shot for Dame to heat up; after that, it's a wrap. Lillard posted a score of 27 in the first round, advancing to the final round with Devin Booker and Kon Knueppel, where he scored 29.
After the win, Lillard talked about the rush of playing basketball (sort of) again.
"In a season where I'm not participating, the league allowing me come in and do something like this... Feel a little bit of pressure, get in front of the fans again... It's a great experience. That's all I do it for, is just to keep adding to my legacy, keep adding to my reputation, and being who I am... I was given the opportunity, and I came out and took advantage of it."
Damian Lillard holds off Devin Booker to win 3-point shootout
Halfway through Devin Booker's championship round, it looked like Dame might be knocked off by the Suns superstar, who was off to a scorching start. But Booker cooled off considerably in the back half, and missed his final three shots on the final rack to finish with a score of 27, just one money ball shy of Lillard's 29.
"I was praying on his downfall," Lillard said about Booker in the post-contest interview. Booker won the contest in 2018, but Dame appears intent on becoming the 3-point shootout king. If he wins one more, he'll be the only player ever with four. Run it back next year?