Two years ago today, Damian Lillard delivered a performance for the ages, setting franchise and career highs with 71 points and 13 three-pointers as the Portland Trail Blazers snapped a two-game skid with a 131-114 victory over the Houston Rockets. Lillard’s 13 three-pointers were just one shy of the NBA record set by Golden State’s Klay Thompson in 20182.
By halftime, Lillard had already amassed 41 points and eight three-pointers, setting a career high for points in a half and the most points in a half for any player in the league that season. Lillard’s scoring spree continued into the second half, and he reached the 50-point mark by the start of the fourth quarter.
Lillard’s final stat line was nothing short of extraordinary: 71 points on 22-of-38 shooting, including 13-of-22 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 14-of-14 from the free-throw line.
His 71 points tied him with Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell for the most points in a game that season, and he became the eighth player in NBA history to score 70 or more points in a single game.
