Damian Lillard exploded with 71 points, making a series of the most impressive statistics in the NBA
Lillard finished the whole match 38 times, reaching 22-38 FG. He threw in a total of 13 3-pointers (the best in team history) and equaled Klay Thompson's record of 3-pointers in a game.
In the first two innings, Dame scored 41 points (8 3-pointers) to put the Blazers ahead by a big margin. Then the Rockets rose up and accidentally created an opportunity for Lillard to continue "plowing points", while maintaining the game.
Finally, the Portland superstar finished the game with 71 points, setting a new career-high milestone and equaling the record for the most scoring match this season.
Towards the end of the game, Lillard tried to break another three-point record by looking for his 14th successful throw. But after two failed attempts, he took the initiative to request a substitution and left the field with tired feet.
“We only have 22, 23 games to go before the Regular Season ends, so winning now is essential. I think I need to do all I can for that goal. Today I wanted to attack early and became quite hot-handed," Dame shared.
Another impressive statistic is that Lillard has now had 5 games with over 60 points. He is only third in the total number of such matches in NBA history, behind Wilt Chamberlain and the late legendary Kobe Bryant.
Particularly the number of 41 points with 8 3-pointers after the first two innings also put Dame in history, becoming the second player ever to reach an index of 40 points - 8 3-pointers in the first half of the match.
At the same time, 41 points in 2 halves is the NBA's second-best total in the past 25 years, equaling Kyrie Irving's statistics and second only to Kobe's record of 42 points (made in 2003).
Just like Dame said, the battle for play-in tickets and Playoffs is extremely tense. This win helps the Portland Trail Blazers (29-31) maintain 11th place in the rankings, pushing the Los Angeles Lakers (29-32) to 12th.
This is a necessary boost for Damian Lillard and his teammates because in the next match, they will face the defending champion Golden State Warriors. A win will help the Blazers continue to chase the play-in group (ranked 7-10) in the upcoming important sprint period.
