Dame torches Rockets for 71 points in 131-114 victory

Sunday night, Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard erupted for 71 points, six rebounds, and six assists in a 131-114 win over the Houston Rockets. Lillard shot 22-of-38 from the floor and 14 of 14 from the free-throw line, bringing the Blazers to a record of 29-31.

Lillard is no stranger to massive scoring outbursts. The star guard now has five games of 60-plus points in his career, which is tied for the third-most in NBA history.

In this performance, Lillard tied Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell for the highest single-game point total for the 2022-23 season. Mitchell scored 71 points in a win over the Chicago Bulls on January 2.

Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups spoke highly of Lillard’s performance against the Rockets. “It really, really was a masterful performance. It was a piece of art. It was incredible,” Billups said to the media.

The New York Times

“Dame” is in his 11th NBA season, all of which have been played with the Trail Blazers.

Lillard is now averaging 32.2 points and 7.2 assists this season, making him the third-leading scorer and 10th-leading passer in the NBA.