Damian Lillard grew to become the eighth participant in NBA historical past to prime 70 factors in a single sport on Sunday when he dropped 71 in a 131-114 victory over the Houston Rockets. The efficiency is the most recent in a string of gems from the Blazers guard. He entered Sunday’s sport averaging 37.6 factors in his previous 18 video games. Now, that whole is even larger. Lillard started the stretch by scoring 50 factors in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he reached 60 in a win over the Utah Jazz late in January. With 71, he set a brand new career-high in factors whereas lifting the Blazers to a crucial win over the Rockets.
At 28-31, the Blazers entered Sunday’s sport not solely under .500, however out of the play-in image. With the win, they gained crucial floor on an evening wherein rivals Minnesota and Oklahoma City misplaced. They now sit in eleventh place within the Western Conference, however solely three video games behind the No. 4 seed Phoenix Suns.
Lillard had just a few probabilities to push his whole even larger within the closing minutes, however with little power left, waived off appears from his teammates in his remaining seconds on the ground on account of exhaustion. He exited the sport with 44.1 seconds remaining to a standing ovation from his followers in Portland.
The sport was Lillard’s first after the All-Star break. He was dominated out of Thursday’s sport towards the Sacramento Kings with a relaxation designation, which precipitated a little bit of confusion contemplating it had been 9 days since his final sport. The choice to sit down Lillard out was on account of a journey delay. A snowstorm in Portland stored the Blazers on the tarmac for seven hours Wednesday earlier than they in the end went residence and traveled to Sacramento on Thursday. Without Lillard, the Blazers misplaced to the Kings by 17 factors. In the tip, although, it might be arduous to complain concerning the outcomes. Lillard used his relaxation evening as a launching pad for one of many best particular person performances in NBA historical past. But how nice was it? Let’s check out Lillard’s efficiency by the numbers:
1
Lillard is the one participant in NBA historical past to attain 70 factors and make at the least 10 3-pointers in a single sport. He was already the one participant in NBA historical past to attain 60 factors and make at the least 10 3’s.
2
Four gamers in NBA historical past have scored 60 or extra factors in a number of video games inside a single season. Those gamers are Lillard, James Harden, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. Here’s the catch: Only Lillard (2022-23, 2019-20) and Bryant (2005-06, 2006-07) achieved that feat twice.
3
Only three gamers in NBA historical past have ever had separate video games with at the least 50, 60 and 70 factors in a single season. Those gamers are Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant and, now, Damian Lillard
6
Lillard now has the six-highest scoring particular person video games in NBA historical past. That contains tonight’s 71, two 61-point video games, two 60-point video games and one 59-point efficiency. The non-Lillard Blazers single-game scoring document is 54, set by Damon Stoudamire in 2005.
8
That is the variety of gamers in NBA historical past which have scored 70 factors in a sport. Wilt Chamberlain did it six occasions, together with his NBA document 100-point efficiency. Kobe Bryant is in second place on the single-game scoring leaderboard with an 81-point masterpiece in 2006. David Thompson, David Robinson, Elgin Baylor, Devin Booker and Donovan Mitchell have all additionally scored at the least 70. Mitchell’s 71-point efficiency got here this season, however he wanted additional time to get there. Lillard acquired to 71 in regulation.
13
That is what number of 3-pointers Lillard made in Sunday’s win. He got here one shy of Klay Thompson’s NBA document of 14 3-pointers. Lillard tried a record-tying 3-pointer with 1:14 remaining within the fourth quarter, however missed. When his teammates tried to get him to take one other probability on his remaining possession of the sport, he seemingly declined out of exhaustion.
32
Lillard, now 32 years outdated, is the oldest participant ever to attain 70 factors in an NBA sport. David Robinson, who was 28 on the time, had beforehand held this document, making Lillard the primary participant in his 30s ever to attain 70 factors in a sport.
39
That is what number of minutes Lillard performed towards Houston on Sunday. As such, he set the brand new NBA document for many factors in below 40 minutes of play in a single sport. The prior document, set by George Gervin and Jerry West, was 63.
80.4
By true capturing share, Lillard simply had probably the most environment friendly sport with at the least 71 whole factors in NBA historical past. He shot 22-of-38 from the sphere, 13-of-22 from 3-point vary and 14-of-14 from the free-throw line for a real capturing share of 80.4 p.c. The earlier document in a 71-point sport was 78.9 p.c.
420
Many of Lillard’s 3-pointers on the evening got here from effectively behind the road, together with a shocking shot from the brand late within the first half. All instructed, Lillard made 420 ft price of pictures on Sunday, which made him the primary participant to document 400 ft price of pictures for the reason that league began monitoring shot distance in 1996.
748
Lillard has now scored 748 factors in his previous 19 video games. That takes his common throughout that stretch to 39.37 factors per sport. It is among the most outstanding stretches in latest NBA historical past, and but, his Blazers are solely 10-9 in these video games. The Blazers acted as sellers on the commerce deadline, freely giving vital position gamers like Josh Hart and Gary Payton II. Portland is doing every thing in its energy to fall out of the play-in race, however Lillard merely will not allow them to. If the Blazers make the postseason, will probably be due to what Lillard is doing proper right here, proper now.
