Lillard's 59 pushes Blazers closer to playoff berth
Damian Lillard comes up clutch when his team needs him most.
Lillard exploded for 59 points to guide his Portland Trail Blazers to an important 101-86 victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday.
You know you want to watch it - Highlights: Lillard drops 59 on Utah #RipCity pic.twitter.com/pwcirdjdYU
— CSN Northwest (@CSNNW) April 9, 2017
He shot 18-of-34 from the field, canned nine threes, and made 14-of-16 from the charity stripe. Lillard's 59 points sets a Blazers franchise record for most points in a game, knocking off Damon Stoudamire's 54-point effort in 2005.
Related: Lillard ties own franchise record with 26 first-quarter points vs. Jazz
The two-time All-Star had a chance to reach 60 with three free throws in the final minute, but he clanked one of his tries and ended up one shy of the elusive 60-point plateau. He left the court to screaming choruses of cheers from the Moda Center faithful.
More importantly, the win extends Portland's slippery grip on the eighth spot to one-and-a-half games up on the Denver Nuggets. Their magic number to clinch the last seed is down to one.