By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
The phenomenal Damian Lillard posted 55 points with a new NBA playoffs record of 12 three-pointers in Game 5 against the Denver Nuggets, even though the Trail Blazers gave way and fell with a 147-140 defeat in double overtime.
It took Lillard 52 minutes to break the league record of 11, set by the Golden State Warriors‘ Klay Thompson in Game 6 of the 2016 Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Two of his threes came in clutch moments. One with 3.7 seconds in regulation to tie the score, the other with 6.6 seconds remaining in the first overtime, to force a second one as the Trail Blazers recovered from a 9-point deficit.
“Superhuman” Lillard, according to Nuggets coach Mike Malone had the NBA world cheering for him for this incredible performance.
I had like 4 tweets I wanted to write to describe this MASTERPIECE by Damian Lamonte Ollie Lillard Sr, but I am seriously at a loss for words…
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) June 2, 2021
Dame….?
— Zach LaVine (@ZachLaVine) June 2, 2021
.@Dame_Lillard that’s all I have to says
— Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) June 2, 2021
Dame is still in Space Jam mode
— Nikola Vucevic (@NikolaVucevic) June 2, 2021
On top of his heroics, Lillard finished with 10 assists and one turnover, making him just the second player with 55 points, 10 assists and 0 or 1 turnover in a regular-season or playoff game since individual turnovers were first tracked in 1977-78, per ESPN Stats & Information research, behind Michael Jordan who did it on Dec. 23, 1992.
Photo: Getty Images