CJ McCollum recalls the atmosphere at the Moda Center when Damian Lillard hit the famous buzzer-beater over Paul George to eliminate OKC from the 2019 playoffs.
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Damian Lillard is one of the top guards in the league today. The Portland Trail Blazers superstar is among the best shooters in the league who needs to be heavily guarded as soon as he crosses the half-court line.
Throughout his 9-year career, Dame Dolla has been an explosive scorer dropping 40-bombs at his own will. And because of his amazing ability of handling, shooting and scoring the rock, Lillard has 6 All-Star appearances and 6 All-NBA selections.
Dame DOLLA has had several jaw-dropping shots in his career. However, no shot is as incredible as his buzzer-beater over Paul George to eliminate Oklahoma City Thunder from the first-round of the 2019 playoffs.
CJ McCollum reveals how everyone at the Moda Center erupted as Damian Lillard hit the clutch shot
With the game tied at 115 apiece, Logo Lillard managed to destroy the Thunder knocking down an insane 37-foot step-back. And with that very disrespectful shot over PG13, Lillard scored 50 points and, quite literally, waved OKC the good-bye as the Blazers advanced to the second round.
A couple of months after Dame’s buzzer-beater, CJ McCollum spoke about that night and how each and everyone in the Moda Center erupted. In his “The Players’ Tribune” article, McCollum spoke about the energetic atmosphere as Lillard hit the final shot.
“I still can’t believe Dame hit that shot. I’ve had a whole off-season to reflect on last year’s playoffs, and I keep coming back to that.
I mean, of course I believe it. Dame’s a killer. Hitting shots like that — at the buzzer, from almost half-court, to close out a series … that’s what he does. He’s cold-blooded.
And the fact that he did it at home, at the Moda Center, in front of the best basketball fans in the world? Legendary.
Listen, I’ve seen that arena rocking before. B-Roy, aka “The Natural,” at the buzzer in 2008. Dame’s game-winner in 2014 against the Rockets in the first round. Or just any home game, really. Fans in the (503) will get up like that for a regular-season game in the middle of November.
But that night, when Dame hit that shot … I honestly thought we were going to start an earthquake. It was just special.”
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