By Stefan Djordjevic/ info@eurohoops.net
Damian Lillard was on fire against the Philadelphia 76ers, scoring 51 points on 16-28 from the field while also dishing seven assists in his squad’s 124-121 win.
This was Lillard’s fifth game this season with 50+ points while he also had two that hit the 60-point mark. He was also big down the stretch with 18 points in the fourth quarter as he pushed Portland to 33-39, and 0.5 wins behind the eight-placed Memphis (33-38).
The outcomes of last night’s games also left the New Orleans Pelicans and the Sacramento Kings without any chances for a playoff ticket. The San Antonio Spurs (31-38) and the Phoenix Suns (31-39) still have a shot at it.
Lillard got help from Carmelo Anthony with 20 points while CJ McCollum added 16 and Jusuf Nurkic 15 points. For Philly, Josh Richardson banked 34 and Alec Burks 20 points.
It should be noted that Philadelphia played without Ben Simmons who left the bubble to undergo surgery but also without Joel Embiid who hurt his left ankle five minutes into the game.
Houston kept their one-win distance in the fourth seed with a 129-112 win over the Kings. Austin Rivers was the leading scorer with career-high 41 points while James Harden banked 32.
De’Aaron Fox had 26 on the other side followed by Buddy Hield’s 16 and Bogdan Bogdanovic’s 13 points.
The LA Clippers, who had Kawhi Leonard on the roster but were missing Paul George and Patrick Beverley, suffered another loss in the bubble – this time against the Brooklyn Nets, 129-120.
Caris LeVert led the winning effort with 27 points while Joe Harris and Tyler Johnson scored 25 and 21 respectively.
Leonard banked 39 for the LA squad followed by Lou Williams’ 18 and Marcus Morris’15 points. Ivica Zubac logged eight points and 15 boards.
This night didn’t go without overtime drama either, as Boston and Orlando battled it out with the former grabbing a 122-119 win.
Gordon Hayward and Jayson Tatum tipped the scale with 31 and 29 points while Jaylen Brown added 19.
Orlando played without Evan Fournier but Nikola Vucevic stepped up with 26 points in addition to Terrance Ross’ 18 and Markelle Fultz’s 16 points.