Damian Lillard scores 51 as Portland Trail Blazers edge Philadelphia 76ers

Damian Lillard takes pride in being a potent scorer. The Portland Trail Blazers star proved that again on Sunday in a 124-121 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA bubble at Walt Disney World.

Lillard sank 4 of 5 3-pointers in the pivotal fourth quarter and finished with 51 points in Portland’s bounce-back win.

It was also a game in which Damian Lillard atoned for his mistakes in the team’s previous game. Against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday, the four-time All-Star missed a pair of foul shots and a 3-pointer in the final 50 seconds of a 122-117 loss.

A day later he didn’t start out particularly well from 3-point range, but finished strong. He was 4-for-12 overall from long rang and 16-for-28 from the field. He knocked down 15 of 16 foul shots.

Damian Lillard’s perspective

“I enjoy those games mentally because you see people start to break down mentally,” Damian Lillard told reporters after Sunday’s banner performance. “People start to have lapses. You get to that point where only a few people are going to able to push through and sustain that same level of focus. And I like to take advantage of that because I know I’m going to be there the whole time. Physically, and mentally.”

In addition to his 51 points, Lillard finished with seven assists and three rebounds against the Sixers.

Before Portland’s disappointing result against Los Angeles, Damian Lillard buried 11 of 18 3s in a 45-point effort in a victory over the Denver Nuggets on Aug. 6.

Did you know?

Damian Lillard is averaging a career-high 29.3 points per game this season.

A Weber State product, Lillard was the No. 6 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, and earned NBA Rookie of the Year accolades in 2012-13.