The Trail Blazers have clinched victory over the Houston Rockets, with the final tally standing at 131-1114. However, that is not the only thing fans took home with them. They were able to witness Damian Lillard’s career-high figures of 71 points in 39 minutes on the court.
While that itself breaks a record, it is worth noting that Damian Lillard has also scored the best shot in the history of the franchise. He is now the first to score 70 or more in under 40 minutes. Talking numbers a bit more, Damian Lillard is now the oldest player with a total point total above 70 in a single game, a feature coming at the age of 32 years.
Lillard had 41 points by the time the game broke for the half-break. The third quarter saw him rise to 50 points and then 71 by the time the final whistle rang.
Out of the 23 or 22 games left for the franchise, he seeks to win as many as possible. He spoke with the media and discussed the accomplishment from last night, claiming that he wanted to be in attack mode and could achieve it by simply remaining aggressive. The head coach also discussed the play, noting that Lillard made all the proper decisions he could without resorting to force.
Only in the third quarter did the Blazers trail by 9 points. They dominated in every way possible in every other quarter. They took a one-point lead with 32 points in the first quarter compared to the Rockets’ 31 shots. Aggression increased in the second quarter, with the Blazers grabbing the lead with 41 points to the Rockets’ 27.
All the NBA betting sites indicated that the game could still change, as was evident from the action that unfolded in the third quarter. That did not happen, and the Blazers went on to claim the night in their favor.
Jerami Grant brought in 13 points, followed by Nassir Little’s 11 points. The fact that Lillard’s score of 13 points is the second-highest on the team demonstrates the poise he exhibited in front of the audience. Everyone else on the court scored in the single digits.
The Rockets saw Tate bring 17 points to the team with 2 rebounds and 2 assists. He is followed by Daishen Nix and Tari Eason pretty closely. The only one to match him that evening was Alperen, who also had 10 rebounds and 5 assists.
Lillard’s career-best has put his team in the 11th position in the Western Conference, while the Rockets are comfortable at the 15th position. The table is currently topped by the Nuggets, who have won 43 games and lost 19 games.
The Blazers will next play against the Warriors on the same day when the Rockets take on the Nuggets.
