Thanks in large part to Iguodala being out with an injury on Monday, Lillard found some room to breathe in Game 4. He scored 28 points, dished out 12 assists, and got some unexpected help from Meyers Leonard, who scored a career-high 30 points. But it wasn’t enough, as Golden State, which repeatedly fell behind, managed to win, 119-117, in overtime.

The strategy to swarm Lillard had worked so perfectly that it was almost surprising to see him suddenly looking like himself again. He came into Monday shooting a dismal 32.6 percent from the field and was scoring only 20.3 points a game — a steep drop-off from his average of 33 per game in the first round.

But Leonard, who had set a new career-high in points before the game reached halftime, opened some space on the floor and Lillard took full advantage, only to come up just short in the end with one last shot that could have extended his season. His 22-foot attempt with 1.3 seconds left could not find its way through the basket even if Coach Terry Stotts let himself dream that his superstar had delivered yet another game-winner.

“I thought it was going to — kind of meant to be,” Stotts said, struggling to sum up his emotions over the missed shot that ended his team’s season. “When he shot it, it had good arc. Yeah, I thought it had a chance.”

Lillard knew coming into the game that a loss would be blamed on him regardless of the quality of his play. Dogged by questions about the rib injury sustained in a collision with Kevon Looney, he seemed frustrated with fans who expected him to single-handedly lift a team that he has carried on his shoulders so many times in the past.

“I just think people want to see me doing it,” he said. “They want me to be making shots and doing all this stuff, but it’s different when you’re out there. Being a part of the game is different than somebody just watching.”