Lillard’s 50 Leads Blazers Past Kings, 118-100

Where would the Blazers be without Damian Lillard? They don’t have to ask, because he scored 50 points in just three quarters, sparking the Blazers to a lead they never gave back. Besides Lillard, Moe Harkless and CJ McCollum also scored in double-figures in Portland’s 118-100 victory. Let’s review some of the essentials from tonight’s game.

• Move over, McCollum. Lillard joins McCollum as the second Blazers player to score 50 points in three quarters, after McCollum did it just a week ago. Lillard already had 28 points at halftime, then poured it on late in the third, breaking a fairly close game wide open.
• Yelling works! Sort of. The day after Blazers coach Terry Stotts scolded his players for their effort in an overtime victory over the tired Charlotte Hornets, the Blazers blew out tonight’s opponent. However, Lillard personally scored over half of the team’s points through three quarters, and saved Portland from a somewhat rough start. The jury is still out on whether the team responded.
• Zach Collins, meet the rookie wall. After a solid stretch of games, teams adjusted to Collins’ presence. Tonight, he missed all 8 of his shots to finish with 4 points, 1 rebound and 3 assists. He still has plenty more games and opportunities to bust down that wall this season.

Box Score

Highlights

What’s Next

The Blazers head home for two games before the All-Star break, Sunday against the Jazz and Wednesday against the Warriors. But stay tuned for more analysis of tonight’s game against the Kings.