Damian Lillard After Win Over Spain: 'We Looked Like Team USA'

Damian Lillard's late-game daggers against Spain were the perfect encapsulation of Team USA's improvement during its Olympic tuneups.

Spain's last gasp on Sunday was a longer exhale than anticipated. Despite the Tokyo Olympics being days just aways and the exhibition nature of their matcup with Team USA, Marc Gasol, Ricky Rubio and company weren't quite ready to give up against their longtime international rivals.

Well, at least until Damian Lillard did what he does best.

The Trail Blazers superstar capped his team's friendly finale with a pair of fading baseline jumpers in crunch time, staving off a long-shot Spanish comeback to give Team USA an 83-76 victory.

“I think we came in saying we were a group of talented individuals and we were working towards becoming a team, and I think we've gotten better each game since we've been in Vegas,” Lillard said after the game, per Trail Blazers reporter Casey Holdahl.

The Americans finished their Tokyo tuneup slate in Las Vegas at 2-2, beating Spain and Argentina in impressive fashion after falling to Australia and Nigeria.

Lillard was outstanding offensively throughout Team USA's stay in Sin City, averaging team-highs of 17.0 points, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He also led his team in threes, going 16-of-36 from deep, good for 44 percent shooting.

Following dispiriting losses to Australia and Nigeria, Lillard and his teammates explained their struggles by alluding to a lack of experience playing together after a whirlwind 2020-21 NBA season—especially compared to more seasoned international foes. 

Spain, for instance, is bringing five players to Tokyo who pushed the Americans to the brink in the 2008 Olympic gold medal game. Kevin Durant, by contrast, is Team USA's longest-tenured player, but none of his teammates won gold beside him in 2012 and only Draymond Green was there in 2016. 

But after a rough start shooting the ball on Sunday, the Americans' lagging synergy and cohesion was largely absent, a reality conveyed by the teamwork that prompted Lillard's dueling corner daggers.

"Tonight in the finale, I think we looked how we want to look getting ready to go to Tokyo tomorrow," Lillard said. "We looked like Team USA.”

Team USA, gold-medal winners in every Olympics since 2008 but coming off a disappointing seventh-place finish at the 2019 FIBA World Cup, tips off group play in Tokyo on July 25 against France.

[Casey Holdahl, Trail Blazers]

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