Da mian Lillard was having his best season ever before the All-Star break. There was a reason why so many people had him down as a Western...
Damian Lillard was having his best season ever before the All-Star break. There was a reason why so many people had him down as a Western Conference All-Star this year, and it was no surprise to hear backlash when he didn't make it, robbed one spot due to Kobe Bryant's unjust inclusion into the starting five. But as Lillard scored 24 points while shooting 43 percent overall and 36 percent from deep, dragging his team to a 27-27 at the break, he was praised for his development as a point guard.
But no one expected another growth spurt in what Lillard was capable of coming out of the break. On Friday, Lillard exploded for his second 50-point game since the All-Star Game snub, dropping in 16 of his 28 shots with six triples and five assists. It wasn't enough for a win, though, despite Portland outscoring the Raptors by nine points in the final frame. In the Raptors' 117-115 win, Lillard's need for reinforcements became clear.
Portland is the best NBA storyline we didn't know we were getting on Christmas Day. They've enacted a complete renaissance around their team, and while the initially games with four of last year's starting five absent was difficult, the Trail Blazers and the wizard Terry Stotts figured it out sometime in early January. Since Jan. 10, despite just losing consecutive games for the first time since the stretch started, Portland is 18-6, vaulting from a middling West lottery team to a clear lock for the playoffs.
Coming out of the All-Star break, where most players took vacations but Lillard contemplated his holy vengeance for the snub, Lillard is averaging more than 33 points per game on nearly 50-percent shooting. His shots can come from anywhere, at any time, with such a quick, lethal stroke that defenders are constantly on edge whenever he's even in their eyesight.
On Friday, Toronto had finally pulled ahead with a lead that seemed safe -- but eight points in the final minute from Lillard made things interesting until the final buzzer finally sounded. And Toronto is formidable! They've failed to sustain playoff success, but this year feels different, especially with a weaker Eastern Conference. DeMar DeRozan was incredible Friday, hitting his first 24 free throws before missing the final one. He still had 38 points on 7-of-19 shooting anyway, so life moves on.
But it's not just DeRozan who has Toronto looking up. In addition to Kyle Lowry, DeRozan's running mate, Toronto had contributions pour in from all over their bench.Jonas Valanciunas put in 17 points as the starting big man, too, and Norman Powellknocked down a couple big three-pointers. If you've never heard of Norman Powell, it's OK, most people haven't.
Lillard didn't get that same help. Outside of him, the Trail Blazers only shot 42 percent. Take away C.J. McCollum's 8-of-17 shooting night, and the rest of the team was barely over 40 percent. Portland is a very young team with a bright future ahead. This just wasn't the night for them.
We knew how good Lillard was becoming for most of the season, but this truly is something else. A 50-point night, no matter the outcome of the game, is crazy impressive when it comes just a couple weeks after a 51-point one. But hey, if you think this is good, just wait until Lillard has the teammates he deserves. Now that's something worth watching.
via sbnation
No comments