Despite the game ending in a loss for the Portland Trail Blazers, Damian Lillard stole the show on Tuesday night.
The six-time All-Star point guard recorded a heroic effort for the Portland Trail Blazers in game four against the Denver Nuggets, scoring a thrilling 55 points on 17-of-24 shooting from the floor in 52 minutes.
Lillard drilled 12 triples from beyond the arc on 17 attempts, snapping Klay Thompson’s postseason record of 11 3-pointers in a playoff game from 2015. On his way to making history, Lillard drilled a flurry of clutch jumpers when the Blazers needed him most.
After leading a fierce comeback, Lillard drained a heroic stepback 3-pointer as seconds ticked off the clock in regulation to send the game to overtime. With the clock turning to overtime, “Dame time” continued.
During the pair of overtime periods, the Oakland native notched 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor, including four more jumpers from long distance. However, it wasn’t enough to stop Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.
Jokic recorded 38 points on 14-of-31 shooting from the floor with 11 rebounds and eight assists to seal the Nuggets’ game five victory, 147-140.
During Lillard’s red-hot performance against the Nuggets, Steph Curry chimed in on social media. The Golden State Warriors’ Most Valuable Player candidate had a simple message in response to Lillard’s fiery 55 point effort.
Via @StephenCurry30 on Twitter:
.@Dame_Lillard that’s all I have to says
— Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) June 2, 2021
Following the double-overtime loss, the Trail Blazers will need Lillard to follow his historic performance with another sizzling effort to extend the series in game six. With the Nuggets leading the first-round series 3-2, game six is set for Thursday in Portland at 5 p.m. PT.
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