Damian Lillard filled the box score last night when he decided to go off for 60 points against the Utah Jazz in a 134-124 win for the Portland Trailblazers. It feels as though Dame has nights like this for the Blazers right when the team needs them the most.
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After suffering the worst loss of the season following their loss to the Los Angeles Lakers where Patrick Beverley would mock him along with giving up a 71-46 lead, Dame kicked up several notches. Not only did he drop 60 points, he did so by having the most efficient 60-point outing in the history of the NBA.
He shot over 89% when it comes to his true shooting percentage. When told this during his postgame media availability, he would berate himself for missing a free throw and shooting a half court shot, claiming he could’ve had an even better TS%.
Damian Lillard says nobody’s catching Wilt Chamberlain
Damian Lillard was also made aware of the fact that he was now tied for 3rd all-time for the most 60-point games in NBA history. He’s currently tied with Michael Jordan and James Harden. The only two men ahead of him are Kobe Bryant, who has 6, and Wilt Chamberlain, who has an astonishing 32 to his name.
Upon hearing this, Dame hilariously scoffed at anyone ever breaking Wilt’s record, saying nobody would ever catch him.
The Portland Trailblazers, while they revel in games like this from their leader, still have the same problem that they have been having for close to a decade: mediocrity. The roster is good enough to sneak into the Playoffs but never good enough to contend for a championship.
So nights like this are great for Portland fans but are forgettable when you think about yet another first round exit incoming at the hands of a superior Western Conference foe.
Is Damian Lillard right about no one ever catching Wilt Chamberlain?
Dame’s right, nobody will ever catch up to Wilt Chamberlain. While the 3-point arc is quite the weapon, to have 33 instances of where you score 60+ is absolute lunacy. In a league where there are 30 teams and you having to gameplan against 29 different squads, it’s simply not possible to do so.
Wilt played in an era that had close to a third of the number of teams that are in the NBA as of 2023. Moreover, the talent in the league at the time was far more diluted than it is today. He was the most gifted athlete of his era by a longshot and so records like this were possible.
This isn’t to take away from Wilt’s brilliance however. He was one of the greatest offensive players in the history of basketball. It’s just that what he did was only possible because the league was still very much in its infancy and he was ahead of his time.
