Damian Lillard's franchise playoff record 55 points and NBA playoff record 12 three-pointers forced the game into overtime and the second OT.
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Michael Porter Jr.’s three-pointer with 1:33 left on the clock in second overtime helped the Denver Nuggets spoil an epic comeback by Damian Lillard’s Portland Trail Blazers with a 147-140 win on Tuesday in Game 5 of the first-round playoff series.
Nikola in the clutch ? pic.twitter.com/7EeFSerGU7
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) June 2, 2021
Coming into the NBA playoffs, the Denver Nuggets vs. Portland Trail Blazers matchup was expected to be one of the most competitive first round series. So far, that’s proved correct.
The Nuggets made three quick 3-pointers in the first overtime, two by Morris and another by Austin Rivers, to surge ahead 132-123. Portland missed its first five long balls in the extra period before Lillard sank three in the final minute to force a second overtime.
The Nuggets won despite Damian Lillard’s franchise playoff record 55 points and NBA playoff record 12 three-pointers, including long distance shots that forced overtime and the second OT. He eclipsed the mark of 11 set by Golden State’s Klay Thompson at Oklahoma City in 2016.
55 points. 10 assists.
? (that’s an NBA playoff first)12 made three-pointers.
? (also an NBA playoff first)An all-time performance from @Dame_Lillard. pic.twitter.com/GSSkfONAxC
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) June 2, 2021
Lillard broke his own franchise scoring record, a 50-point outburst against Oklahoma City in 2019.
”It was the best playoff performance I’ve ever seen,’ Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. ”He gave it his all. He made a lot of shots. Look, he gave it his all.”
”We’re all disappointed. I have empathy for Dame. I have empathy for anybody on our team. But now’s not the time for empathy. Now’s the time to regroup and come back and get Game 6. We can’t feel sorry for ourselves.”
Lillard scored 17 of Portland’s 19 points in the two overtimes, but he didn’t score again after his 12th 3-pointer in 17 attempts put the Blazers ahead 140-138 with 3:47 left. Portland’s supporting cast didn’t score either.
DAMIAN LILLARD IS AMAZING SEND TWEET pic.twitter.com/p3pUDzu7n0
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) June 2, 2021
”It’s a shame we wasted one of the all-time best performances by not being more supportive of him,” CJ McCollum said.
Nikola Jokic scored 38 points and came one assist shy of a triple-double. He tied the game at 140 with a layup and Porter broke the tie with a 3 from the left corner with 1:33 left off a sweet pass from Jokic.
38 PTS | 11 REB | 9 AST | 4 BLK
He does it all. #MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/6g73CPfNRO
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) June 2, 2021
The Blazers still were within three points until a pair of costly mistakes sent them trailing the Nuggets 3-2 in the best-of-seven series.
First, Robert Covington missed a dunk with 41 seconds left and then CJ McCollum stepped out of bounds with 9.1 seconds left.
Monte Morris, who scored 28 points off the bench, hit a pair of free throws with 8.8 seconds to seal it, and Shaq Harrison added two free throws with 3.8 seconds remaining.
These two teams will clash once again on June 4th for Game 6., The Nuggets can seal the series with win.
