Damian Lillard shines as Blazers down Warriors
When Golden State visits Portland, Damian Lillard and the Blazers have the Warriors’ number. Lillard posted his third 40-point game at home against the Warriors, and his Blazers became the first team to beat Golden State twice this season.
The Blazers’ win cut the Warriors’ lead in the series to 2-1.
What made this game special?
Lillard had 40 points and 10 assists, becoming the first Trail Blazers player to do so in a playoff game since Clyde Drexler did it in 1992. In three games at home against the Warriors this season, Lillard has averaged 43.6 points per game.
Elias Sports Bureau research notes that he is the fourth player in NBA postseason history with a 40-point, 10-assist game against the defending champion. He joined Kevin Johnson, Jerry West and Oscar Robertson.
Lillard is also the fourth player in the last 50 years with three 40-point games against the Warriors in a season, including the playoffs. The others are LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jerry West.
Lillard also set a new Blazers franchise record for most 3-pointers made in a playoff game, with eight. The Blazers hit 17 3-pointers, a team record for a playoff game.
Three of Lillard’s five 40-point games have come against the Warriors this season.
How he did it
Lillard scored 24 of his 40 points with Klay Thompson as his primary defender. Lillard shot 7-of-15 from the floor, including 6-of-9 from 3. In Games 1 and 2 combined, he had 22 points on 7-of-28 shooting (4-of-10 from 3) against Thompson.
Portland was 10-of-18 on shots created by a Lillard pass. Of his 10 assists, five led to 3-pointers. The Blazers shot 4-of-6 when uncontested, including 4-of-4 on 3-pointers. Lillard created a shot and assisted for six different shooters.
What about the Warriors?
Draymond Green was no slouch for the Warriors in this game, though. His 37 points and eight 3-pointers were career highs in any regular-season or playoff game.
This was the first time in postseason history that two players have made eight 3-pointers in the same game.
Green and Thompson, who scored 35 points, are the first pair of teammates to each score 35 points in a playoff game since Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant did so in 2011 against the Grizzlies. Green and Thompson’s 72 combined points were double the total their teammates put up.
