Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard put forth one of the most ridiculous playoff performances ever in Game 5 against the Denver Nuggets, pouring in 55 points and a playoff-record 12 3-pointers. Lillard hit a plethora of clutch shots and single-handedly erased a seemingly insurmountable deficit in the first overtime to force a second.

Unfortunately, Lillard ran out of steam in the second overtime, and he got zero help from his Blazers teammates in a 147-40 loss. The Nuggets finally started to do a better job of getting the ball out of his hands, and Lillard's teammates couldn't take advantage. Robert Covington missed another dunk after missing one in the first overtime. Norman Powell missed a wide-open corner 3-pointer after Michael Porter Jr. splashed one of his own. CJ McCollum stepped out of bounds after a Lillard pass in the final minute.

Non-Damian Lillard Blazers shot a woeful 1-of-14 from the field over the two overtime periods as Lillard put the team on his back. Needless to say, that kind of failure won't get the job done with their season on the line in Thursday night's Game 6.

The Nuggets will be out for blood as they try to close out the series, and it's unfair to put such a large burden on Lillard's shoulders as Portland tries to stay alive. It can't be all on him. McCollum is paid over $30 million a season to be an elite sidekick. The Blazers traded two first-round picks for Covington last offseason and acquired Powell in a key move at the trade deadline. Jusuf Nurkic needs to stay out of foul trouble, and perhaps Carmelo Anthony can give a throwback performance. This is the help Portland's front office has given Lillard, and they must step up.

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The good news is the Blazers won Game 4 easily despite Damian Lillard shooting 1-of-10 from the field, so it's not like the other guys haven't stepped up before in this series. Being back at the Moda Center should help.

But there's more pressure on now, especially with so much on the line. If the Blazers lose this series, rumors suggest head coach Terry Stotts is a goner. And will Lillard start to get a wandering eye? Dame has been so loyal to this franchise, but he was clearly frustrated earlier this season.

Portland responded to Damian Lillard's frustrations by going on a big run to end the season to avoid the play-in tournament. It's time for the Blazers to respond again and force a Game 7, where anything can happen.