The Portland Trail Blazers weathered the storm brought forth by the Oklahoma City Thunder to win Game 5 and close out the series.

Thanks to a 50-point effort and a game-winner by star guard Damian Lillard, the Blazers won 118-115 on Tuesday in their first-round duel with the Thunder.

Facing elimination, the Thunder came out strong off the bat and led by as much as 15 points. Thunder all-stars Paul George and Russell Westbrook put their best foot forward the entire game. George had 36 points, nine rebounds, three assists, along with three 3-pointers. Westbrook, meanwhile, notched a triple-double of 29 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds. He was also 4-of-11 from downtown.

Other contributors include Jerami Grant who had 16 points and eight rebounds, and Dennis Schroder who had 17 points including two 3-pointers.

However, they were no match for  Damian Lillard's 50-point outburst which included 10 3-point bombs. He also had seven rebounds, six assists and three steals. CJ McCollum and Maurice Harkless dropped 17 points apiece while Enes Kanter — amid an ailing shoulder — notched a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds.

The series saw two of the best guards in the league going at it. Even during dead ball situations, we saw Lillard and Westbrook jawing at each other, both wanting to get in each other's skin.

In the end, it was Lillard who seemingly got the best of Westbrook and the Thunder. The Blazers will move on to the Conference Semifinals for the first time since the 2016 playoffs. They will either play the Denver Nuggets or the San Antonio Spurs.