Damian Lillard’s 11-Three Night Beat Denver As Portland Closes In On The 8-Seed

The race for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference continues and, with a handful of teams jockeying for position, every game matters for those in pursuit of a playoff berth. With that in mind, the Portland Trail Blazers needed a win against the current 3-seeded Denver Nuggets on Thursday evening, and Terry Stotts’ team was able to get one as a result of a spectacular performance from Damian Lillard. The All-NBA guard finished the evening with 45 points and 12 assists and, along the way, Lillard tied his career high with 11 made three-pointers on 18 attempts.

Lillard’s onslaught began in the first quarter, when he produced 14 points on seven shots, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc.

While the second quarter was his quietest of the night, Lillard still managed to knock down a pair of long-range offerings to keep Portland in a comfortable position.

Coming out of the locker room, Lillard continued his barrage, including his ninth (!) three-pointer with 3:20 remaining in the third quarter.

By the end of the third period, Lillard had 35 points, seven points and three steals, but the game was far from over. In fact, the Nuggets slashed the margin late in the third quarter and, with a 6-0 run early in the fourth period, Denver actually claimed the lead. Much of the work was done by Michael Porter Jr., who finished the night with 27 points on 10-of-18 shooting and 12 rebounds in 34 minutes.

Porter Jr.’s strong play wasn’t enough, however, as Lillard and the Blazers had another gear on this night. With more than four minutes remaining, Lillard buried his 11th three-pointer of the game, tying his career high set earlier this season in a 61-point performance against the Golden State Warriors.

The Blazers used a 13-2 run to take a double-digit lead with three minutes remaining and, down the stretch, the Nuggets weren’t able to mount a full-blown charge. While Lillard was unbelievable throughout, he wasn’t the only part of Portland’s success. Gary Trent Jr. knocked down 7-of-10 from three-point distance off the bench as he remains a huge contributor for this Blazers team, with Jusuf Nurkic adding 22 points and seven rebounds. Beyond that, Portland set a franchise record with 23 three-pointers (on 39 attempts) and it was a memorable night for the Blazers.

With this victory, Portland is now 4-1 in the bubble and within a half-game of the Memphis Grizzlies for the No. 8 seed. There is more work to do but, in a flash, the Blazers have closed a sizable gap and, in the end, it helps to have one of the game’s best on full display in Damian Lillard.