With his series finale to eliminate the Houston Rockets in the 2014 playoffs, and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2019 playoffs, Damian Lillard not only established himself as one of the league’s greatest pitchers, but set a very high standard for the that constitutes an incredible photo.
His Saturday night effort certainly qualified, as he hit one of the craziest game winners you’ve ever seen to lift the Portland Trail Blazers over the Chicago Bulls, 123-122. Let’s take a look at how it happened.
With just over 11 seconds remaining, Bulls guard Coby White dropped two free throws to put the Bulls in five points, and apparently sealed the game. Only Lillard got out of time and immediately hit a 3-foot-long 3 to make a two-point game.
At the entrance that followed, the Blazers pinned Zach LaVine in the corner and were able to force a ball into the air before he could time out. The Blazers then won the ball over the top and, after a brief dispute for the ball, Lillard went out with it and nailed it for victory.
Unreal. This Garrett Temple look tells you everything you need to know about how the Bulls were feeling after that one.
Lillard ended the season’s record with 44 points, five rebounds and nine assists in victory. This was his third horn, which is the largest in the franchise’s history, according to ESPN Stats and Info. It is also his 35th game with at least 40 points. No other player in the history of the Blazers has half that.
This victory ended a series of two consecutive games of defeats for the Blazers and improved his record this season to 10-8. Things have been tough in Portland, with CJ McCollum, Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins, all with long-term injuries, but so far they have been there. As it stands, they are only halfway through fourth place this strange season, and Lillard has shown once again that as long as he is around, they will always have a chance.