Damian Lillard: 'I would have liked' first career triple double

Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard had an impressive stat line on Wednesday against the Utah Jazz. The two-time All-Star scored 21 points, delivered 10 assists and grabbed seven rebounds. Surprisingly, Lillard has never had a triple double in his NBA career, and this was as good an opportunity as any to get his first. 

But Portland's lead over Utah was a comfortable one heading into the fourth quarter, and Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts figured (correctly) that box score stats weren't worth re-inserting Lillard into the game. Here's more on this close call, courtesy of The Oregonian:

Lillard is having a stellar fourth season, and, obviously, what's most important here is the fact that Portland defeated a team near the bottom of the Western Conference's playoff standings. 

The Trail Blazers aren't too far from grabbing the eight seed, and don't need Lillard notching triple-doubles to qualify.