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Damian Lillard had a second quarter to remember, but it was another last second three that kept Portland in the game till the end.
Lillard had 40 points, including 19 in the second quarter, and Wesley Matthews had 22, and the Portland Trail Blazers completed a miracle comeback from ten down with two minutes to play to stun the Oklahoma City Thunder 115-111 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena Tuesday night.
The Blazers started the game off hot from behind the arc, hitting their first three 3s of the game. The Thunder came right back, and when Portland's shooting went cold, they capitalized. Portland missed its last six field goals of the quarter, and Oklahoma City responded with a 13-0 run to take a seven point lead after the first quarter. Allen Crabbe led the Blazers in scoring in the first with five.
The second quarter was dedicated to Damian Lillard and all of the players left in his wake. Lillard scored 19 in the period on 7-of-10 shooting, outscored the entire Oklahoma City team in the second quarter, and capped it with a three-point shot from nearly half court with 0.5 seconds left in the half. Behind his annihilation of the Oklahoma City defense, Portland led by 11 at the break.
The Blazers went ice cold in the third quarter, missing nine of their first eleven shots, and not hitting a field goal for six minutes. Oklahoma City rallied to re-take the lead on a set of Reggie Jackson free throws, but CJ McCollum got the lead right back with his second three-point shot of the quarter. After Oklahoma City answered with a Jackson layup, Matthews hit a three, followed by a Kendrick Perkins short jumper, leaving the teams tied at 73 after three quarters.
Oklahoma City started the final period on a 12-3 run, and Portland committed back-to-back turnovers to fall behind the Thunder by 11. Timely free throws and a technical foul on Russell Westbrook in conjunction with a Lillard three got Portland within four with a minute to play. Westbrook and LaMarcus Aldridge traded baskets, and Aldridge free throws got Portland within two. After Westbrook missed one of two free throws, Lillard drilled a three in a similar fashion to the shot that won the playoff series versus the Rockets last season. A Westbrook buzzer beater was off, sending the game to overtime.
Portland led by two in overtime when Aldridge missed a jumper. Steve Blake tipped the rebound to Lillard who hit a three for a five point advantage. Westbrook fouled out, and Dorell Wright tipped in an Aldridge shot to seal the game. Tempers flared between Aldridge and Serge Ibaka near the end, as well as between Blazers and Thunder fans in the stands, but no punches were thrown.
Aldridge had 25 points on 9-of-28 shooting as he battled the upper respiratory infection that kept him out of Monday's game in Houston.
Gameday Thread Comments of the Night [Bonus: After Lillard's three-pointer]
OMG LILLARD 3
by bowdown on Dec 23, 2014 | 7:22 PM
Omg
by Waveblade on Dec 23, 2014 | 7:22 PM
DAAAMEEEEMEMEMEMEMEME
by DerpDurp on Dec 23, 2014 | 7:22 PM
LILLLLARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
by WillBartonMVP on Dec 23, 2014 | 7:22 PM
PLAYOFF FLASHBACK
by Darn you, darn you to heck! on Dec 23, 2014 | 7:22 PM
CANT BELIEVE THIS TRASH
by bowdown on Dec 23, 2014 | 7:22 PM
OMG
by thankyouforblaze on Dec 23, 2014 | 7:22 PM
hal;dkjhf;aldkjf;aldjkhgfalksjdghlakjdfgh
by OakOriginal on Dec 23, 2014 | 7:23 PM
OVERTIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
by cabbages on Dec 23, 2014 | 7:23 PM
.9
by leseri on Dec 23, 2014 | 7:23 PM
;lkajshdfklajdhflkajdhgaiusofgyoiaweuyrwaety
by OakOriginal on Dec 23, 2014 | 7:23 PM
Good lord. Lilly.
by annthefan on Dec 23, 2014 | 7:23 PM
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
by BlazersConga on Dec 23, 2014 | 7:23 PM
HOUSTON SHOT
by pklym on Dec 23, 2014 | 7:23 PM
SAME PLAY! AMAZING
by OakOriginal on Dec 23, 2014 | 7:23 PM
How in the world do you let Dame get that open. Love it.
by bluesloth on Dec 23, 2014 | 7:23 PM
WOW that looked almost exactly like the .9 shot
by Corwin71 on Dec 23, 2014 | 7:23 PM
And a few choice comments after Aldridge and Ibaka mix it up:
What's the sodium level for OKC right now? They seem a little salty.
by sorrownomore
Smart by LMA. Simply trying to spread that illness on to Ibaka
by AUS2PDX
Post-Game Reaction
Holy crap.
— Mike Barrett (@blazermb) December 24, 2014
Damian Lillard joins James Harden and LeBron James as the only NBA players with multiple 40-point games this season.
— Trail Blazers PR (@TrailBlazersPR) December 24, 2014
Thomas Robinson and Will Barton pushing the slogan "Lake O don't play" for Damian Lillard, who lives in Lake Oswego.
— Mike Richman (@mikegrich) December 24, 2014
More T-Rob on Lillard: "He was raised by ice"
— Mike Richman (@mikegrich) December 24, 2014
"You'll see that in a commercial." -- Terry Stotts on @Dame_Lillard's "You know what time it is" move
— Casey Holdahl (@CHold) December 24, 2014
Stotts says it wasn't the *same* play as Game 6, "but it looked similar"
— Mike Richman (@mikegrich) December 24, 2014
Listen to @BlazerWheels' call of Damian's game-tying 3-pointer! http://t.co/xN27SFEFE4
— Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) December 24, 2014
Scott Brooks: "We lost composure."
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) December 24, 2014
Brooks on the final shot of regulation: "They pushed Russell out. He made a tough decision. We have to get a better shot than that."
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) December 24, 2014
Brooks on why he played Ish Smith: "They were playing small. We have to figure out who will stay in front of the basketball."
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) December 24, 2014
For their efforts, a Stotts said #Blazers will have X-mas off...no practice.
— Jabari Young (@JabariJYoung) December 24, 2014
On the last play, it sounds like we can infer from Brooks that the Thunder did not execute the play as designed.
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) December 24, 2014
#Blazers made a season-high 17 three-pointers, on 31 attempts, and outscored OKC 51-18 on threes. Lillard-Matthews combined 13 for 20.
— Mike Tokito (@mtokito) December 24, 2014
"It shows the type of character we have on this team." - Coach Stotts More quotes and reaction " http://t.co/8xmHgpNkgq
— Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) December 24, 2014
Westbrook on his technical: "Yeah that was my fault. That was the turning point in the game."
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) December 24, 2014
Aldridge said there was a lot of "unnecessary" play from the Thunder tonight, specifically the scratch on his face, scratches on his back
— Casey Holdahl (@CHold) December 24, 2014
What time is it??? http://t.co/wtx0uPuk8q
— Mike Barrett (@blazermb) December 24, 2014
"I was felling myself." — @Dame_Lillard on the Lillard Time watch pantomime
— Casey Holdahl (@CHold) December 24, 2014
Throughout the #Blazers locker room...words like "guts, fight, never quitting" were being used. Think that sums up this road trip perfectly
— Jabari Young (@JabariJYoung) December 24, 2014
Gotta love @Dame_Lillard, when asked "walk us through that shot"..he answers with a straight face: "which shot?". #RipCity
— Craig Birnbach (@CBirnbachKATU) December 24, 2014
Aldridge said scuffle with a Ibaka was the last of unnecessary things from OKC "He just was doing extra stuff that wasn't needed." #Blazers
— Jabari Young (@JabariJYoung) December 24, 2014
Aldridge had scratches over top of his eye, under it & on his shoulder. And just as I was typing this, Ibaka walks past me #Blazers #Thunder
— Jabari Young (@JabariJYoung) December 24, 2014
Asked Lillard how he's avoid upper respiratory illnesses so far, he joked: "I don't know. Apple a day keeps the doctor away." #Blazers
— Jabari Young (@JabariJYoung) December 24, 2014
Last 5 min and OT: Lillard: 4/7 FG, 18 points. Westbrook: 4/9 FG, 9 points. Lillard and Aldridge scored 30 of final 37 POR pts.
— Erik Gundersen (@blazerbanter) December 24, 2014
"The thing about Dame is Dame is about winning." - Terry Stotts
— Mike Richman (@mikegrich) December 24, 2014
Dorell Wright advanced stats guru: "We shoot a lot of threes. We've always got a chance." #variance
— Mike Richman (@mikegrich) December 24, 2014
Told Stotts gave #Blazers X-mas off Wright agreed it's a good gift: "Especially when you got family & kids. It’s good; no problem with that”
— Jabari Young (@JabariJYoung) December 24, 2014
VIDEO: Damian Lillard hits a three to beat the halftime buzzer.
VIDEO: Damian Lillard hits a three to send the game to overtime.