Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers break multiple 3-point records in 125-115 win over Denver

Trail Blazers fans were given much to celebrate, as Damian Lillard broke Portland’s single-season 3-point record, and the Blazers as a team set the new record, too.

One of the backdrops of tonight’s game centered around Damian Lillard needing only two 3-pointers to break his own single-season record for the most long-range shots in Portland Trail Blazers history.

As fate would have it, Damian Lillard wanted his record, and a few other records, too.

On a night where the Trail Blazers set a franchise mark for most 3-pointers in team history (23), and Gary Trent Jr. added to an NBA-high 22 3-pointers in the Orlando bubble, Lillard was the catalyst. He erupted for 45 points and 12 assists on 13-of-21 shooting from the field, and 11-of-18 from 3-point games.

Scorching offensive nights from Lillard have become a constant, but rarely of this degree; of his 21 field goals, Lillard took attempted three shots inside the arc.

The results, though, are difficult to argue with. Lillard matched his career-high in 3-point makes, and jumped to No. 7 on the NBA’s single-game 3-point leaderboards, trailing only: Klay Thompson (14), Zach LaVine and Stephen Curry (13), and the trio of Stephen Curry, Donyell Marshall, and Kobe Bryant (12).

It’s become quite the campaign for Lillard. He now averages 29.1 points and 8.0 assists on 45.7 percent from the field, 39.8 percent from deep, and 88.6 percent from the free throw line. This is now his most efficient season from long range.

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As noted, the 5-time All-Star now owns 247 3-pointers on the season. He owns the top six spots in Portland’s single-season category.

Chalk it up as yet another feather in the cap in the storied career of Damian Lillard. If he weren’t already firmly ensconced in the “greatest Blazer of all-time” debate, he merely added another footnote to his storybook career with tonight’s performance.

And, perhaps even more importantly, the Trail Blazers (33-38) moved to within just a half-game back of the No. 8 seeded Memphis Grizzlies.

Considering the milestones the Blazers’ created both individually and as a team, it’s safe to say they’ll be gunning for more nights like Aug. 6.