Damian Lillard becomes Trail Blazers all-time leading scorer / News - Basketnews.com

Damian Lillard became Portland Trail Blazers' all-time leading scorer, passing Clyde Drexler with 18,048 total points.

Credit: USA Sports Today-Scanpix Credit USA Sports Today-Scanpix

Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard became the franchise's all-time leading scorer after passing Clyde Drexler against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Damian Lillard

Team:Portland Trail BlazersPosition:PGAge:32Height:191 cmWeight:88 kgBirth place:Oakland, United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

Drexler, a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, had 18,040 points in 867 games for the Trail Blazers from 1983 to 1995. Lillard entered the night needing 21 to move ahead of him.

Lillard tied Drexler's mark on a 3-pointer from deep in the third quarter, then broke the mark on a free throw with 1:33 left in the period.

Lillard finished the game with 28 points (3/5 2PT, 6/12 3PT, 4/4 FT), 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 4 turnovers. Despite his effort, Blazers lost the game 121-123 after Shai Gilgeous Alexander's buzzer-beater.

"It's a great feeling to reach the top," Lillard said. "It's been a goal of mine, and the list has so many players, great history of our organization, so to finally be No. 1 is a special accomplishment that I'm proud of."

The fans at Paycom Center gave Lillard an ovation as the Thunder public address announcer informed the crowd of his accomplishment.

"Even during the game tonight, I wasn't playing focused on getting to the record," Lillard continued. "I was playing the game just trying to win. I knew it would happen eventually."

32-year-old Lillard played in his 730th career game with Portland, which selected him sixth overall in the 2012 draft out of Weber State.

"Damian's commitment to Portland is now incapsulated with this prestigious career milestone," Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin said in a statement. "His dedication, humility, and hard work have been pillars for his path to this very moment. On behalf of the organization, we would like to congratulate Damian on this great achievement and look forward to many more."

This season Lillard averages 28.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 7.1 assists.

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