Damian Lillard goes off for career-high 71 points against Rockets / News - Basketnews.com

Damian Lillard scored a career-high 71 points on 22-38 shooting and 13-22 from three vs. Houston Rockets.

Credit: AP-Scanpix Credit AP-Scanpix

Damian Lillard became the 8th player in the NBA history to score 70+ points in a single game with his 71 points performance against the Houston Rockets.

Player of the Game EFF 65 Damian Lillard Points 71 Accuracy 22-38 Rebounds 6 Assists 6

In a 131-114 win, Lillard finished the game with 71 points (9/16 2PT, 13/22 2PT, 14/14 FT), 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 turnovers.

Lillard had 41 points and eight 3-pointers by halftime. It was a career high in a half for Lillard and the most points in a half for any player in the league this season. He had 50 by the start of the fourth quarter.

The 32-year-old Lillard became oldest player in NBA history with a 70-point game and the only player age 30 or older to accomplish the feat, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

Lillard tied Donovan Mitchell for the most points in a game this season after the Cleveland Cavaliers star scored 71 points on January 2.

NBA Players with 70+ points games

Wilt Chamberlain - 100 points Kobe Bryant - 81 points David Thompson - 73 points Elgin Baylor - 71 points David Robinson - 71 points Damian Lillard - 71 points Donovan Mitchell - 71 points Devin Booker - 70 points

In the final minutes, the crowd at the Moda Center was on its feet while chanting, "MVP! MVP!"

Lillard left the game with 44 seconds left, tied with Mitchell,Elgin Baylor(1960) andDavid Robinson(1994) for the eighth-most points scored in a game in NBA history.Wilt Chamberlainowns the league record with 100 for Philadelphia against New York on March 2, 1962, at Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Sunday was also Lillard's fifth career 60-point game, breaking a tie for third-most in NBA history; only Chamberlain (32) and Kobe Bryant (6) have more, according to ESPN research.

Lillard has 15 games with 50 or more points, sixth-most in NBA history.

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