Damian Lillard exploded for 41 points Thursday night, largely due to a heckling Orlando Magic fan.
After struggling through the first two quarters, Lillard lit up the second half with a franchise-record 34 points, and led the Portland Trail Blazers to a 128-114 road win.
Leave Dame alone, folks.
All-Star @Dame_Lillard silences Orlando heckler with record-setting night as Blazers beat Magic » https://t.co/PqUHq5Zieb
— Joe Freeman (@BlazerFreeman) October 26, 2018
Per The Oregonian:
“He just kept hollering my name,” Lillard said. “‘Oh, he don’t want to play tonight. He ain’t that good.’ The whole first half, he just wouldn’t shut up. And I got tired of it. I told him at the end of the second quarter, ‘We’re going to see.’ And he kept on talking. And we saw.”
Lillard responded with a second half for the ages, erupting for 34 points and making 11 of 15 shots, including 5 of 8 three-pointers, inspiring the Blazers to a 128-114 victory. By the end of the barrage, Lillard had recorded 41 points, seven rebounds and six assists in a performance the folks of Orlando won’t soon forget — including one fan in particular.
“He didn’t have much to say (in the second half),” Lillard said. “I think it was toward the end of the third quarter, I looked at him and I was tapping my ear, like, ‘I haven’t heard you.’ And he still didn’t say nothing. So that took care of itself.”
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