It was another unforgettable night for Damian Lillard, the Portland Trail Blazers' superstar point guard, as he led his team to a dominant 131-114 victory over the Houston Rockets. The electric point guard's performance was simply out of this world, as he lit up the court with 71 points, a new career-high for the superstar. Lillard, who had already scored 41 points with eight 3-pointers by halftime, went on to make 13 3-pointers and 22 of 38 shots in total, including 14 of 14 from the free-throw line.
Watch Damian Lillard's amazing feat here
Lillard's virtuoso display was enough to secure a much-needed victory for the Blazers, who had lost their last two games. Even more impressive, Lillard tied the highest-scoring performance of the season, joining Donovan Mitchell in that exclusive club. And, to top it off, he set a new franchise record and came just one shy of the NBA record for the most 3-pointers made in a single game, which is currently held by Golden State's Klay Thompson.
Despite his record-breaking performance, Lillard's thoughts were already on the next challenge: "I enjoy those moments in the game when I’m just going after people when I’m in attack mode," Lillard said. "But it’s the stuff afterward that I struggle with, like when I walked off the court, was I supposed to be overly excited or what?"
{{/usCountry}}Despite his record-breaking performance, Lillard's thoughts were already on the next challenge: "I enjoy those moments in the game when I’m just going after people when I’m in attack mode," Lillard said. "But it’s the stuff afterward that I struggle with, like when I walked off the court, was I supposed to be overly excited or what?"
{{/usCountry}}Fans, however, were in no doubt about what they had just witnessed. They were on their feet, phones recording the moment, while chanting "MVP! MVP!" in the final minutes of the game. And it wasn't just the fans who took notice of Lillard's scintillating display; his colleagues also weighed in, with Utah's Donovan Mitchell offering his congratulations.
Also read | Mac McClung steals the show in All-Star Saturday, Damian Lillard shines in 3-Point Contest
For Lillard, the win was a reminder of just what he is capable of and a timely boost for the Blazers' playoff push. And for the rest of us, it was another reminder of the brilliance of one of the game's greatest stars.