Despite falling victim to a litany of injuries in recent weeks–from C.J. McCollum to a gruesome, season-ending injury suffered by breakout center Jusuf Nurkic–the Portland Trail Blazers continue to win.
The Trail Blazers won their second consecutive game by more than 20 points after defeating the Atlanta Hawks 118-98 thanks to a game-high 36 points from star point guard Damian Lillard. Although the Houston Rockets continue to put immense pressure on Portland in making a run at a top-three seed in the Western Conference, the Trail Blazers currently hold a half-game advantage over Houston.
Lillard in particular has been at the top of his game during Portland's six-game win streak. The All-Star guard is averaging 28 points, 10 assists and nearly five rebounds during this stretch, elevating his play when the Trail Blazers have needed him the most.
Lillard spoke to the press after the game about his pride in the team's ability to persevere through all of the injuries and adversity they have been exposed to as of late:
“I just like the fact that we continue to roll,” Lillard said. “Obviously with CJ being out is a blow and Nurkic being out is a blow, but we haven't used it as a crutch or excuse. We haven't put our heads down and pouted about it. We just kept working and kept going after it.”
The Trail Blazers were starting to become a trendy pick to challenge the Warriors in the Western Conference, mostly thanks to Nurkic's massive leap as a star in the frontcourt. But in his absence, and with McCollum's timeline still up for grabs, the onus will fall on Lillard as it his so many times throughout his tenure in Portland.
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