Portland Trail Blazers star guard Damian Lillard exploded in the first half of Game 5 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, breaking multiple franchise records along the way.
Lillard dropped 34 points in the opening half and forged several franchise records. Per NBA on Twitter, Lillard set the Blazers franchise record for points in a half with his mark. In addition, his six makes from 3-point distance tied the franchise record for a half. He also became the team's all-time playoff leader in 3-point field goals made.
Dame (34 PTS) made #NBAPlayoffs history in the 1st half:
▪️ @trailblazers record for PTS in a half
▪️ 6 3pt FG's ties Trail Blazers record in a half
▪️ Became Trail Blazers leader in NBA Playoffs 3PM
▪️ 5 PTS shy of #NBA record (Eric "Sleepy" Floyd, 1987)📺: @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/vtRQUdWyBu
— NBA (@NBA) April 24, 2019
His individual efforts were needed by his team. After all, the Thunder came out strong and stretched out a big lead in the opening minutes of the game. It's pretty obvious that Damian Lillard is on a different gear this postseason, all after his disappointing displays in his past few playoff appearances.
In the 2017 playoffs, they were swept by the Golden State Warriors who went on to win the championship. Last year, they were upset and manhandled by the New Orleans Pelicans in four games.
The Blazers have always been tagged as a decent regular season team in the past six campaigns. However, they've always fallen short come playoff time. But from the looks of it, Lillard wants is intent on making a statement this time around.
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