Damian Lillard said that he was playing the best basketball of his career following the Portland Trail Blazers' 127-119 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Lillard finished the game with 48 points, 11 assists, and 9 rebounds.

"I knew it was going to be tough to come in here and pull a win out. So I just wanted to come out and be aggressive and assertive in the third quarter because usually that's an opportunity to let the game get away from you. ... I just wanted to be assertive and be aggressive and try to impose my will on the game in that stretch and then just let it be a fourth-quarter game and see where it goes," said Lillard following the game.

The point guard is averaging 48.4 points, 9.8 assists, and 8.2 rebounds in his last 5 games.

Lillard added that the best way for the Blazers and Lakers to honor Kobe Bryant's memory was to compete.

"Compared to what his family has to deal with, his closest friends have to deal with, us having to honor him in that way and play a game is a small thing. I think for what we do in our careers, this is what we do. For him being arguably the toughest competitor to ever play the game, I felt like it was only right for us to pay our respect pregame and then go out there and honor him by competing at a higher level, and I thought both teams did that."