Field Level Media
Feb 10, 2018
Damian Lillard exploded for 15 of his 50 points in a 17-0 run to end the third quarter, helping the Portland Trail Blazers pull away from the Sacramento Kings en route to a 118-100 victory Friday night at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif.
The 50-point game was the fourth of Lillard's career and just the 10th in the NBA this season. Backcourt mate C.J. McCollum went for 50 last Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls.
Lillard's career high is 59, established last April against Utah.
The All-Star connected on eight 3-pointers, including two during the game-breaking run that began with Portland leading just 75-74 after a Zach Randolph layup with 4:25 remaining in the third period.
Lillard also had three 2-point hoops and three free throws, the result of being fouled on a 3-point attempt, in his 15-point flurry.
McCollum had the only other basket in the run, which gave Portland a 92-74 advantage headed into the final period.
The Trail Blazers coasted home for a second consecutive win that also allowed them to snap a three-game road losing streak.
Lillard connected on 16 of his 26 shots overall and all 10 of his free throws. The Trail Blazers went 17-for-18 from the line in the game.
Maurice Harkless (15), McCollum (11) and Shabazz Napier (13) also scored in double figures for Portland. Ed Davis collected a game-high 14 rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who had split a pair of earlier decisions against Sacramento.
Willie Cauley-Stein had 19 points and Randolph had 17 points for the Kings, who were coming off a 104-98 home win over the Bulls on Monday.
Buddy Hield had 16 points, De'Aaron Fox 13, and Justin Jackson, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Kosta Koufos 10 apiece for Sacramento, which completed a 1-3 homestand.
Randolph also recorded a team-high nine rebounds. Fox flirted with a triple-double, complementing his 13 points with seven rebounds and a game-high nine assists.
Neither Joe Johnson nor Iman Shumpert, both acquired in a three-team trade Thursday, played for the Kings.
Portland used an 11-3 spurt at the end of the second quarter to build a 62-52 halftime lead. Lillard accounted for nine of the 11 points.
--Field Level Media