Damian Lillard Makes NBA History In Trail Blazers-Jazz Game On Wednesday Night

Portland Trail Blazers star guard Damian Lillard made NBA history on Wednesday night when he scored 60 points against the Utah Jazz.

Players scoring 50 points has seemed to become a new normal in the NBA, as we have now seen 17 different 50-point nights in the league this season following Damian Lillard’s performance for the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night against the Utah Jazz.

What was special about Lillard’s performance though was not just the fact that he went for 50 points, but the fact that he scored 60 points on 21-29 shooting, 9-15 from three-point range, making him just the third player to score at least 60 in a game this season.

Damian Lillard: “It’s the most efficient 60-point game ever, for real? That’s crazy."

(It is crazy). pic.twitter.com/mm1TWZels7

— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) January 26, 2023

Lillard’s efficient performance was insane, as he had 50 points after just three quarters, and he led the Trail Blazers to a 134-124 victory over the Jazz.

“I think any time you score 60 points it’s special, but I think this one I just felt like it came pretty simple,” Lillard said after the game. “I thought I played the game as it should’ve been played. I knew we needed to win so I came out with a mentality to attack and be aggressive, but it wasn’t like I just came out on fire. It wasn’t one of those games.”

Damian Lillard has now had 14 different 50-point games in his career, tying Hall-of-Famer Rick Berry and future Hall-of-Famer LeBron James, for the 6th most 50-point games in NBA history and this was the fourth time in Lillard’s career that he has scored at least 60 points.

To score 60 points in a game once is extremely impressive, but Lillard has done so on four different occasions now, tying him with Michael Jordan and James Harden for the third-most 60-point games in NBA history behind only Kobe Bryant (6 games) and Wilt Chamberlain (32 games).

What do you know, another NBAa record that sees Wilt Chamberlain at the top of it and Lillard recognized this in his postgame remarks on Wednesday night, citing that nobody is ever going to catch Chamberlain!

Last night was the 4th 60+ point game of Damian Lillard's career.
Only four other players in NBA History have 4 or more.

Wilt Chamberlain has 32.

"We ain't catching Wilt." pic.twitter.com/r5qR3sWR0V

— NBA (@NBA) January 26, 2023

Lillard has been having a sensational start to 2023, as he is now averaging 34.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game in the month of January. However, the Trail Blazers are just 5-8 in this span.

Portland's next chance to pick up a win will come on Saturday when they host the Toronto Raptors. 

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