Trail Blazers v Mavericks: Damian Lillard's 61-point stunner is proof he's the man for Portland this season
The Portland Trail Blazers need this win. It was integral for them as it put them in the contention for the eighth seed in the Western Conference. In the driver's seat was Damian Lillard who's had quite a season for Portland. It was a closely contested game against the Mavericks and Lillard slammed 61 points in the 134-131 win. It has been that sort of a season where he is the first Blazer player to notch up back-to-back 50-point performances. He also became the first player after Wilt Chamberlain to register three 60-point games in a season.
And he had a statement to make, quite a simple, but resounding one. "put some respect on my f--king name." His achievement though has now more than respect. There's fear that Lillard might single-handedly dismantle a team on his day. These are his performances from the last seven games:
29 Points, 9 Assists, 45 FG%
30 Points, 16 Assists, 40 FG%
21 Points, 8 Assists, 3/7 3 PM
45 Points, 12 Assists, 61 FG%
22 Points, 5 Assists, 43 FG%
51 Points, 7 Assists, 57 FG%
61 Points, 8 Assists, 53 FG%
What was unfair was how fans quickly roped in Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving to the discussion when it came to deciding who the best was by comparing their feats to Lillard. At this point, Lillard's achievements should be more of a celebration than a comparison. Up next, the Blazers will face Nets on Thursday and win all but ensures they will clinch the eighth seed. This means all they have to do is grab one win in the weekend series to set up a game against the dodgy Los Angeles Lakers.
Lillard is the man behind the notion that this is a team that could spring a sudden surprise. And they owe that thought to Lillard who's fired on all cylinders so far. Add Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins to the list, the Trail Blazers come across as genuine contenders and have given their fans hope that they'd go the distance. Assuming that they beat the out-of-sorts Lakers, that will be a defining moment in Lillard's career and also puts him in the race for the best player of the season.
Portland has Lillard to thank for. His stats are an indicator of his achievements this season and has proved that he's the man for them this season. And irrespective of the end result, Lillard will take this as a season to remember.
Portland Trail Blazers will face the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday.