PORTLAND, Ore. — Sitting outside the Western Conference postseason mix and coming off missing the first game of the second half of Portland’s season, All-Star guard Damian Lillard met the moment and scored a career-best, franchise-record 71 points to beat Houston on Sunday night.
In a postgame edition of the Locked On Blazers podcast, host Mike Richman explained that Lillard is the best he’s ever been, and that he’s setting a tremendous tone for the Trail Blazers down the stretch of the season.
“This puts him in rare territory,” Richman said. “I think this is your First Team All-NBA point guard. He’s been that good. I think this is the best point guard in the league. I think the scoring title is within reach because of how good he’s going to have to be.”
Over the weekend, following a game he missed because of flight delays getting to Sacramento coming off the NBA All-Star break, Lillard described the determination he is facing the end of the season with, and reports out of practice detailed the mission Lillard laid out to his Blazers teammates to go seize a playoff spot in the 20-plus remaining games of the season.
“That message rings hollow if you don’t bring it. So Damian Lillard scored 13 of his team’s first 18 points” on his way to 71 total, Richman said. “He seized it.”
Not only did Lillard pile up points, he did so efficiently, making the second-most three-pointers in an NBA game ever and making all 14 of his free-throws.
“This is the most efficient 70-point game in the history of the sport,” Richman said.
Portland is now tied for the 10th seed in the West, the final spot eligible for the playoffs.