Damian Lillard placed the Trail Blazers squarely on his shoulders in his team's run to the 2020 NBA Playoffs. Against the odds, he led Portland to the 8th seed in the Western Conference standings, earning a matchup with 1st-seeded Los Angeles Lakers. It wasn't easy reaching this point, though, as the Blazers had to fight their way into the postseason. Now, however, they're facing elimination in the opening round.
In this piece, we'll take look back at Lillard's nuclear run inside the NBA's bubble complex.
The Blazers were in danger of missing the postseason entirely when the regular season resumed in Florida. At that time, the team was just outside of the 8th and final seed, yet they still had a fighting chance. Impressively, Portland won six of their eight games in the bubble to close out the regular season. And with a few losses from the Memphis Grizzlies, the Blazers managed to claim the last entry for the Western Conference.
In their final regular season game — a macthup against the Brooklyn Nets — Lillard drove the Blazers to victory, scoring 42 points and 12 assists. With his team's season on the line and time running out, the former Weber State standout buried a three from the halfcourt logo. Moments later, he threw his body to the floor near the same spot, coming up with a steal that wound up being the biggest defensive play of the game.
“The urgency, the energy, the pace, everything, just felt like something was on the line,” Lillard said, via ESPN.
https://twitter.com/2Cool2BIog/status/1294117439400226819?s=20
And just like that, the Blazers were on their way to a play-in series with the Grizzlies. It only took one game to decide, though, as Portland went on defeat Memphis, 126-122. Lillard had 31 points and made all 14 of his shots at the free throw line. It was Portland's fourth consecutive win — a stretch of success that the team needed to reach the postseason. The Grizzlies, on the other hand, needed a sweep to advance.
The Blazers were among three teams with losing overall records to make the bubble playoffs. According to ESPN, no team below .500 had advanced to the postseason since 2015.
“What we've done in these two weeks is really special,” Blazers coach Terry Stotts said of his his team's run to the 8th seed in the West, via ESPN. “I couldn't be more proud of a group of guys because we were up against it every game, nine straight games where our season was basically in the balance. … They found a way.”
Stat: Lillard's usage rate was notably high throughout the seeding games, as he logged 45, 44, 40, 41, 39, 40, 41 and 44 minutes. The Blazers needed his production, and he answered the bell.
@clutchstories Dame Time was in full effect in the bubble by doing what no other player ever has. @leslieeemichelle #dametime damianlillard #blazers #clutchpoints
Damian Lillard led the Blazers to victory over the Lakers in Game 1 of their first round series. In yet another heavy workload (43 minutes), he recorded 34 points on 9-of-21 shooting (6-of-13 from downtown), five assists, five rebounds and one block. As he often is, Dame was accurate at the stripe, knocking down all ten of his attempts.
With just over five minutes left in the fourth quarter, Lillard pulled up from roughly 30 feet to tie the game at 87 apiece. After making his way to the other end of the court, the five-time All-Star danced to Too Short's “Blow the Whistle:”
Dame paid homage to Oakland when Too Short’s Blow The Whistle came on after his deep three 🤯🔥
🎥 @trailblazers pic.twitter.com/7HxRXmch2a
— Ball Don't Stop (@balldontstop) August 19, 2020
“When Too Short came on, I was feeling good,” Damian Lillard said, via Orlando Sanchez of KGW TV in Portland. “My hometown, East Oakland was being represented in the arena, so I had to show my love”
Unfortunately, Game 1 has been the lone victory for Portland in their first round matchup against the Lakers. Lillard dislocated his left index finger in the third quarter of Game 2, which ended up being a 111-88 runaway win for Los Angeles. Dame continued to play in the series, though his finger was braced with a wrap.
Game 3 saw Lillard scoring 34 points with a dislocated finger, but Portland's 108 points — their highest mark in this series — were not enough. Game 4 wasn't much better for the Blazers, as Los Angeles ran away with a 135-115 victory to take a 3-1 series lead. Making things a bit worse is the fact that Dame left in the third quarter with a right knee injury, which has since been classified as a sprain. As a result, he's been ruled out for Game 5 — a tough blow for a team that is facing elimination.
At this point, Damian Lillard is without an official timetable for return, leaving Portland to fight for their postseason lives without their best player.
The results of a second MRI confirm Damian Lillard with a right knee sprain. Lillard is listed as out for Game 5.
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) August 25, 2020
Though the Blazers are in danger of being sent home in Wednesday night's Game 5 matchup, Lillard's heroics in the NBA's bubble complex should be recognized.
Follow Us
Subscribe