The N.B.A.’s Supernova Era

On a Sunday in February, Damian Lillard, the Portland Trail Blazers’ virtuosic point guard, scored seventy-one points against the Houston Rockets. When defenders hounded him on the perimeter, he executed quick crossover dribbles to create a sliver of space or stutter-stepped into three-point shots. He ignored the hands in his face; he blew by defenders on his way to the rim. There seemed to be no shot that he was not willing to try, and he made most of them. With a minute left in the second quarter, he calmly carried the ball across half-court, pulled up with one foot still on the center-court logo, and sunk a thirty-six-footer. Fans laughed in delight. Lillard’s face, as ever, was impassive. Only a jaunty little skip toward the defensive end betrayed any feeling.