Damian Lillard, have yourself a game. The Portland Trail Blazers point guard had one of the most impressive outings of the season by anyone on Friday. Lillard scored 51 points in leading his Blazers to an upset win against the Golden State Warriors.
Lillard, fresh off an all-star snub, took out his frustrations on his home town team, scorching the Warriors at every point. In addition to his massive scoring outburst, Dame contributed seven assists and six steals, while shooting 18-28 from the field. Meanwhile, the Blazers were able to do everything they wanted and blow out the Warriors by a score of 137-105.
The Blazers guard has been fantastic in his short career, but this was one of those moments where he announced himself to the entire league. Not only did he score at will against one of the best defenses in the NBA, but Lillard also showcased an all around game that helped his team blow out the best team in the league.
The Blazers are holding on tight to a playoff seed currently sitting in seventh place with a 28-27 record. The win puts them only half a game behind the Mavericks for the sixth seed in the Western Conference.
A team with almost no expectations in the preseason, the Blazers have been one of the biggest surprises of the season. Much of that has been due to the play and leadership of Damian Lillard who exhibited those qualities at a near-unbelievable level on Friday against the Warriors.