Damian Lillard's hot streak continues as Trail Blazers pound Nets
Getting torched by a player who could have easily been on their roster couldn't have been a pleasant experience for the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night.
Damian Lillard, who was selected with the draft pick the Nets sent to the Portland Trail Blazers as part of the Gerald Wallace trade, lit up Brooklyn to the tune of 33 points and 10 dimes in a 116-104 win for Terry Stotts' squad at Barclays Center.
*ices ankles after game* pic.twitter.com/5hz3G6zOct
— Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) January 16, 2016
The two-time All-Star was once again a one-man wrecking crew for the Trail Blazers, shooting 13-of-24 from the field and 5-of-10 from 3-point range - his fifth game in a row with at least four makes from deep.
Only Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder (five) can boast that he has more 30-point, 10-assist games this season than Lillard, who earned his third on Friday.
It was also the first time since 2009 that a player finished with over 30 points and 10 assists in a game while not turning the basketball over.
Damian Lillard is first NBA player with 30+ points, 10+ assists and 0 turnovers in a road game since Chris Paul on Jan. 6, 2009 (NO at LAL).
— Trail Blazers PR (@TrailBlazersPR) January 16, 2016
If this isn't an All-Star resumé...
Damian Lillard #NBAVote
https://t.co/IS2agpziTj
— Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) January 16, 2016
It's no surprise that Lillard's otherworldly play has coincided with a three-game winning streak for the Trail Blazers; before this winning stretch, Portland's most recent loss to the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 8 saw perhaps Lillard's strongest performance of the season.
Damian Lillard Statistics (Last 4 Games)
| Date | Opponent | FG | 3P | RBS | AST | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/8/2016 | Golden State Warriors | 12-of-27 | 6-of-15 | 3 | 10 | 40 |
| 1/10/2016 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 9-of-18 | 8-of-14 | 7 | 9 | 31 |
| 1/13/2016 | Utah Jazz | 8-of-14 | 4-of-7 | 7 | 10 | 21 |
| 1/15/2016 | Brooklyn Nets | 13-of-24 | 5-of-10 | 3 | 10 | 33 |
There's just something about playing the Nets which brings out the best in the Weber State alumnus, however, as he's scored over 28 points in each of Portland's last three meetings with Brooklyn. That run includes a 36-point night near the end of last season.
The Trail Blazers improve to 17-24 with the victory, and will look to continue their winning ways on Saturday against the worst team in basketball, the 4-37 Philadelphia 76ers.