NBA scores 2017: Damian Lillard scored 59 points and is carrying Portland to the playoffs

Lillard lit up on Saturday, but he’s been doing this for weeks now.

Apr 9, 2017, 12:00 PM UTC

The Portland Trail Blazers are making the playoffs because Damian Lillard isn’t going to allow them to miss. On Saturday, he made his statement, dropping 59 points powered by a 26-point first quarter. It’s the third-highest scoring performance this season.

Lillard lit up early, went scoreless in the second quarter but cooked in the final 24 minutes. The win put them at 40-40 for the season, 1.5 games ahead of the Denver Nuggets with two more to play, and Lillard even did it against the stout Utah Jazz defense.

Jusuf Nurkic caught headlines for helping Portland turn things around, and deservedly so — the center traded to the Blazers at the deadline provided a huge impact. But Lillard is the heart on this team. Since the All-Star break, Lillard is averaging a blistering 28.4 points on 46-percent shooting from the field and nearly 40 percent on threes along with six assists — all improvements over his pre-All-Star break numbers.

Lillard dropped his 59 points in the same ways we’re used to — pull-up threes with defenders in his face, layups thrown up over defenders that just flies over their outstretched hands. He’s one of 11 players with 50 point games this season, a new NBA record, but the important thing is how Lillard is doing this right when Portland needed it from him.

Things from Saturday

Kevin Durant made his return from injury in the third-to-last regular season game for Golden State, recording 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in 30 minutes. His first bucket came on the game’s opening possession, when he drove baseline for a reverse dunk, although he only shot 6-of-15 for the game. Obviously, Durant’s return is huge for the Warriors, even though his absence hasn’t affected Golden State with 14 straight wins now.
Miami’s postseason hopes remain alive after a down-to-the-wire win against the Wizards in Washington. They’re tied with the Chicago Bulls for the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference now — but finish the season against the Cavaliers and Wizards again.