FILE – Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers takes a shot against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the fourth quarter at Moda Center on January 25, 2021 in Portland, Oregon. Abbie Parr/Getty Images/AFP
Damian Lillard capped his 43-point night with the decisive three-point play as the visiting Portland Trail Blazers won their sixth consecutive game, defeating the New Orleans Pelicans 126-124 on Wednesday.
Lillard, who also tied a career high with 16 assists, drove to the basket and for a layup and subsequent foul shot that gave Portland a 126-124 lead with 16 seconds left.
43 POINTS and 16 DIMES for DAME. 🤯
The @trailblazers win their 6th in a row as @Dame_Lillard joins Clyde Drexler as the only players with 40+ points and 15+ assists in franchise history! pic.twitter.com/YQJNaz6vpY
— NBA (@NBA) February 18, 2021
New Orleans’ Lonzo Ball missed a 3-point attempt and Brandon Ingram missed another jumper on the final possession.
The Blazers finished a 3-0 road trip thanks in part to Gary Trent Jr. adding 23 points. Zion Williamson tied a career high with 36 points for the Pelicans. Ball contributed 21.