NBA world marvels at amazing Damian Lillard performance, even as Blazers fall
They call it Dame Time for a reason.
It’s not an exaggeration and it’s not an urban myth. When it comes time to make a big shot late in a game, Damian Lillard is the man to call.
Portland’s All-Star guard proved it again Tuesday in Game 5 against the Denver Nuggets, making not one but two game-tying shots that kept his team alive late.
Lillard's first clutch shot came with three seconds left in regulation, a 3-pointer right in the face of 6-foot-10 Denver forward Michael Porter Jr. It tied the score at 121 and forced overtime.
The second came at the end of the first OT, this time over guard Shaquille Harrison. Again, it tied the score (135-135). Again, it kept the Blazers alive for another period.
In truth, it’s not fair to say Lillard made only two clutch shots. Because it was his shot-making that gave him the chance to make game-tying shots in the first place.
Confused? Keep in mind that the Blazers trailed Denver by nine with 2:16 to go in OT. But Lillard converted a three-point play and a pair of 3-pointers to set up the final shot over Harrison.
Despite Lillard’s heroics, the Blazers fell to the Nuggets 147-140 in double overtime and now trail Denver 3-2 in the best-of-seven series.
Lillard ended up with 55 points, tied for the seventh-largest scoring outing in NBA playoff history. (Michael Jordan holds the record, with a 63-point outing against the Boston Celtics in 1986.)
He also set a record for 3-pointers in a playoff game, with 12.
It might seem like Lillard never misses a shot in crunch time, but of course, that would be an exaggeration. In clutch situations (defined as needing a game-tying or game-winning field goal with 20 seconds or less remaining in the fourth quarter or overtime), the nine-year veteran is 31-for-96 (32.3%) from the field.
But that number is more impressive when you compare Lillard to his contemporaries who have also taken a lot of shots in such situations. For example, LeBron James shoots 30.4% in clutch situations, while Kevin Durant is at 31.0% and Russell Westbrook is at 23.9%.
Since Lillard entered the NBA in the 2012-13 season, he has thoroughly outdistanced all other players, with 31 made shots in clutch situations, nine more than No. 2 Westbrook’s 22 and 10 more than James’ 21.
In the end, Lillard’s latest dazzling performance drew buzz across the NBA, with media, fans and players chiming in to share their thoughts on what they had just seen.
Here are some of our favorite reactions.
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