Damian Lillard continues to do unbelievable things in the bubble, and now it has the Portland Trail Blazers getting big playoff wins. Lillard scored 34 points to lead the Blazers to a 100-93 Game 1 win over the Western Conference’s top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers.
34 points 🔥
6 threes ☔️@Dame_Lillard fuels the @trailblazers Game 1 victory against LAL! #NBAPlayoffs #WholeNewGameGame 2: Thurs. (8/20) – 9pm/et, ESPN pic.twitter.com/oZqnaYx76Z
— NBA (@NBA) August 19, 2020
And, once again, Lillard broke out the incredible three-pointers. Lillard went 6-of-13 on threes, and his most amazing one came in a crucial sequence for Portland in the final minutes.
With the game tied 89-89, Portland’s Hassan Whiteside rejected a layup from LeBron James, and Lillard quickly drained another logo three at the other end.
Blazers arguably won on this sequence: Whiteside block on LeBron, followed by another long 3 by Dame 🏀 pic.twitter.com/XgPAmvCLKA
— Ian Casselberry (@iancass) August 19, 2020
He also nailed this long three to tie the game when Portland trailed 87-84 with under six minutes remaining.
Sheesh pic.twitter.com/2yXtl4wpV0
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) August 19, 2020
Jusuf Nurkic — who had 16 points and 15 rebounds to play a big part in Portland’s win — correctly identified what time it was: Dame time.
Nurkic knows what time it is. pic.twitter.com/aqbFX4lsik
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) August 19, 2020
Now, it will be very difficult to beat a team with LeBron James and Anthony Davis three more times in the best-of-seven series. But with Dame on an incredible heater like this, Portland has a chance. And especially if the Lakers’ offense doesn’t wake up.
This was the first time since…January 7th that a Blazers opponent didn’t score 100+ points. Thirty-seven games. Lakers offense in a rough place.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) August 19, 2020
Game 2 is on Thursday night at 9 p.m. ET in the bubble.
