Enlarge image
Portland star Damian Lillard
Photo: IMAGO/Soobum Im / IMAGO/USA TODAY Network
Basketball star Damian Lillard became the eighth player in NBA history to break the 70-point mark and improve on his own record.
The 32-year-old Portland Trail Blazers playmaker scored 71 points and converted 13 three-pointers in the 131-114 against the Houston Rockets.
According to the US broadcaster ESPN, Lillard is the oldest player in the history of the North American professional league to have scored over 70 points in a game.
Figureheads like LeBron James or Michael Jordan are not part of the 70s club.
Lillard matched Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell, who had 71 points for the Cavaliers in early January, for the season.
Fans at the Portland arena chanted loudly for the basketball pro, known for his outstanding scoring and just another three-pointer shot from breaking the record (14 threes in a game).
The record for points in a game was set by Wilt Chamberlain, who scored 100 points in a game in 1962.
Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Phoenix Suns 104-101 in the 2021 NBA finals replay.
It was the 14th win in a row for title contenders Milwaukee.
The two star players Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee) and Kevin Durant – whom Phoenix signed two weeks ago – were injured.
aha/dpa
