I try to take each game as a challenge. Some games I have a few more butterflies than others, but it’s best to keep every game in the right perspective.

In a close game, I want to get in. I almost have to say to myself, "I want to be the guy who shoots the last shot if it comes down to that."

You’ve got to accept that pressure, accept that responsibility if you’re a professional. You may not have the opportunity for the last shot, but if you do, you can’t be afraid to put yourself in that make-or-miss situation.

Don Nelson has shown a lot of faith in my decision making abilities in doing the right thing when playing in the crunch. The crunch is all about putting yourself on the line and facing the fear. I think every player would like to have that feeling of making the big shot.

I don’t go into a game thinking I’m going to shoot the three-pointer for us. I just come in and see what the team needs. If it happens that I’m open, I want to shoot it because I have a good opportunity of making the shot.

The only time I have trouble making a shot is when I hesitate. I think the key is practice, practice, practice, and you can never get enough of that. I try to shoot as many three-pointers as I possibly can and try to stay in a good rhythm.

When you let the ball go, you don’t really know if it’s good, so you just have to shoot it the same way every time. You almost become a machine—the shot is just one more copy off the copy press.

Rod Higgins is a forward for the Golden State Warriors.