Blazers edge Raptors in overtime thriller
Something strange happened in Oregon on Tuesday night: Damian Lillard missed a game-winning buzzer beater. It's true.
Of course, Lillard followed up that end-of-regulation miss by scoring six points and dishing two assists in overtime, helping his Portland Trail Blazers edge the Toronto Raptors 102-97 in a thrilling overtime showdown.
The Raptors led for most of the game but never managed to extend the gap past 13 points, allowing Portland to hang around, enter the fourth quarter down only seven, and slowly chip away at the lead. Portland even looked to have things locked up when a Raptors' inbound play appeared broken with four seconds to go, but Amir Johnson scored from a post-up to tie things back up and set the stage for Lillard's near-heroics.
It was truly an incredible game, a blast to watch and a blow-for-blow battle fought largely at the defensive end. Both teams shot just 40 percent from the floor and struggled to get to the line until the late-game fouling scenarios presented themselves.
The highlight may have been the point guard battle, with the red-hot Kyle Lowry forcing things just a bit too much in the late stages, and succumbing to Lillard's more controlled, albeit still trigger-happy, output.
| Tuesday | Lowry | Lillard |
|---|---|---|
| MIN | 40 | 46 |
| FG | 10-of-26 | 9-of-24 |
| PTS | 25 | 26 |
| RBS | 7 | 2 |
| AST | 5 | 9 |
| STL | 3 | 1 |
| TO | 4 | 2 |
Whether it be Lillard's slight edge, some home-cooking or Tuesday just being their night, Portland managed to hit a few clutch threes in overtime and keep the Raptors at arm's length from there. Let's just say everyone should be psyched for the March 15 rematch, given how fun this one was.
With the win, Portland is now 26-7, a shade better than Toronto's 24-8 mark and good for the second-best record in all of basketball.