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Damian Lillard says if he were LeBron James, he would’ve still shot while double-teamed

Published by

Robert Marvi

October 10, 2020 8:24 pm

After LeBron James did not take the Los Angeles Lakers’ final shot in their Game 5 loss to the Miami Heat, some questioned whether he made the right decision.

Although Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard didn’t disagree with James’ decision-making, he said he would’ve handled the play differently.

Trailing 109-108 with 16.8 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Lakers inbounded the ball with a chance to clinch their 17th NBA championship.

James was able to get inside but faced a double-team, and he dished to guard Danny Green, who missed a 3-pointer.

At the other end, Heat star Tyler Herro was fouled and made both free throws to give his team a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.

It’s no wonder Lillard says he would’ve taken the shot despite being double-teamed, as he’s arguably the NBA’s most dangerous crunch-time shooter.

Robert Marvi

Robert is a native of Santa Monica, Calif., and a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has been an avid NBA fan since he was a little kid in the mid '90s and fell in love with the Nick Van Exel-led Lakers teams. He truly cherishes the Kobe Bryant-era of Lakers basketball and the five world championships that came with it, and is looking forward to the team's next NBA title.