Luck or Lack? Exploring the Blazers' three-point offense vs. the Lakers

With less than a second left on the game clock, Damian Lillardrises to his right and fires a three.

Not just a three, but a deep three from the right wing. And notjust a deep three from the right wing; it's a three so deep, overthe outstretched arms of a hopeless defender, that you immediatelythink: "How on earth is he so comfortable takingthatshot?"

Naturally, it goes in without speaking to the rim, much lesshitting it. The crowd goes crazy. The opposing team walks off thefloor, demoralized. Lillard has the facial expression of someonewho's been told the same joke three times in a row.

Some might even consider the shot a bad one,butis therea bad shotwhen it comes to Lillard?

That was the question immediately following his 37-foot playoffseries-ender against the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019. And whileMonday night's win against the Los Angeles Lakers doesn't sniffthose stakes, it was a question worth asking again as Lillarddrilled a fading triple from the "M" in Moda Center to close thefirst quarter.