Damian Lillard continues to downplay the impact of his rib injury.

Shortly after Sunday’s Game 3, another come-from-behind Warriors win, news broke that the Portland Trail Blazers superstar is playing through separated ribs. Lillard appeared to sustain the injury early in the second half of Game 2, when Golden State big man Kevon Looney landed on him near half court as the two fought for a loose ball. He immediately winced upon taking the brunt of Looney’s weight, rising to his feet in obvious pain.

A source close to Lillard subsequently told ESPN's Tim MacMahon on Friday night that the injury wasn't affecting his play, because Lillard “always plays through injuries.” Less than 24 hours later, Lillard was singing the same tune.

“I don't think it's something that's affecting my game,” he said, per Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times. “It's there but it's not something that's affecting anything that I'm doing. Obviously, you feel it.”

Lillard is averaging 20.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 4.7 turnovers against Golden State. He’s shooting just 32.6 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from beyond the arc, doing his vast majority of damage from the perimeter – certainly due to the Warriors' strategy of forcing the ball out of his hands with multiple defenders, and perhaps because of discomfort he feels while driving to the rim and trying to finish through contact.

Lillard, obviously, is in pain, but he's not the type of player who would excuse his substandard performance with injury. Either way, Portland will need him to play much better in Monday's Game 4 if the team wants to avoid getting swept.