Damian Lillard is a player who has a reputation for scoring high in a single game. Only Behind Kobe Bryant and Wilt Chamberlain, Damian Lillard has five career 60-point games. But what is Damian Lillard’s career-high performance? Let’s answer that question in detail.
Lillard is nicknamed Dame Time for his history of making big shots in the clutch. He is the only player in Blazers’ history to receive seven NBA All-Star and seven All-NBA Team selections.
71 PTS, 13 3PM, 6 REB, 6 AST…
Damian Lillard, everyone 👏 pic.twitter.com/3bHwHXEonI
— NBA (@NBA) February 27, 2023
On a Sunday night against the Houston Rockets, it was Dame-time. Lillard erupted on the court and made 13 three-pointers. Lillard’s 13 3-pointers on 22 attempts were just one shy of the NBA record held by Golden State’s Klay Thompson. Thompson’s Warriors partner, Stephen Curry, and Chicago’s Zach LaVine have each hit 13 three-pointers before.
Lillard got off to a fast start against the Rockets, scoring 41 points in the first half. Within 34 minutes, he tied his previous career high. In typical fashion, Dame broke his career best with a 3-pointer from the top of the key. He went 22-38 from the field and 13-22 from beyond the arc.
Damian Lillard scored a franchise-record 71 points in his career-high game
With 71 points and 13 3-pointers, Damian Lillard set both franchise and personal records, and the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Houston Rockets 131-114 to end a two-game losing streak.
Following Donovan Mitchell’s 71 points in a victory against Chicago on January 2, Lillard equaled Donovan Mitchell of Cleveland for the most points in a game last season. With 4:42 remaining, Lillard made a 3-pointer to surpass both his career high of 11 3-pointers in a game and his own franchise record of 61 points, which he had previously achieved twice.
The accomplishments Lillard made that night were too many to count. Behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 61 and Kobe Bryant’s six 60-point performances, he now holds the third most 60 points games with five. He owns the eighth-highest-scoring game in league history and is the oldest player to have ever scored 70 points at the age of 32. Additionally, he is the first player in league history to reach the 70-point mark in under 40 minutes.
Lillard ultimately broke the franchise record for making threes in a game. He ended with six rebounds, six assists, and a flawless 14-of-14 free-throw shooting.
“I enjoy those moments in the game when I’m just going after people,” Lillard said after the game, “when I’m in attack mode.” Following his performance, Lillard underwent a drug test, which somewhat dimmed the experience because Lillard is scared of needles.