‘Are you serious?’: Trailblazers point guard Damian Lillard reveals he was called in for a post-game drug test for the FIRST TIME in his 11-year NBA career – after dropping an insane 71 points against the Rockets
Damian Lillard revealed he had to undergo his first post-game drug test in his 11 years in the NBA after dropping 71 points in a 131-114 win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.
The 32-year-old seven-time All-Star was in dismay after becoming the first player in league history to score 70+ points in less than 40 minutes.
He also tied Donovan Mitchell, Elgin Baylor (1960) and David Robinson (1994) for most points scored in a game, becoming the eighth player in NBA history to score 70 or more.
‘Honestly, I was like, you guys are serious,’ Lillard told reporters after the game on Sunday. ‘I did the urine test (Saturday) and they confirmed it with the blood collection after the game (Sunday). That was the first time in my career (being) tested after a game.
‘Plus, they know I’m afraid of needles. I know I have a lot of tattoos, but when you’re doing a blood draw it’s different than tattoos. It brought me from here to the ground, until it was over.
‘Once they were done, I was like, ”okay, I got that out of the way.”’
Damian Lillard submits his first NBA drug test in 11 years after a 71-point show on Sunday
The 32-year-old broke Portland’s franchise record and his own career record against the Rockets
Lillard hardly missed against Houston, shooting 57.9 percent from the field (22-of-38 overall) and 59.1 percent from three-point range (13-of-22). He also had six rebounds and six assists in 39 minutes of play.
And by defeating the team with the worst record in the league (13-47), this year’s NBA three-point champion broke his own franchise tally, which previously stood at 61 points.
Lillard’s last performance was his 15th career game with 50 or more points, sixth most in NBA history. He had 41 points and eight three-pointers at halftime.
It was a career high for the Portland point guard and the most points by any player in the league this season. He was 50 at the start of the fourth quarter.
In the final minutes of the game, the Moda Center crowd were on their feet, phones registering the moment as they chanted ‘MVP! MVP!’
“I think any hooper enjoys those moments when you’re hot, in attack mode, feeling good,” said Lillard. “But it’s the after things I struggle with, like when I got off the court, should I be really excited or what?”
“It really was a masterful performance,” said Blazers coach Chauncey Billups. ‘It was a work of art. That was awesome.
Lillard’s 13 three-point shots were one short of the NBA record set by Golden State’s Klay Thompson in 2018.
Lillard barely missed against Houston and shot 57.9 percent overall from the field
“It really was a masterful performance,” said coach and former All-Star Chauncey Billups.
Since then, Thompson’s Warriors teammate Stephen Curry and Chicago Bulls’ Zach LaVine have also had 13 threes.
Lillard’s magical performance on Sunday helped the Blazers move closer to . 500 as the team is 29-31 overall in a packed Western Conference.
There is just a four-game spread between the fourth seed Phoenix Suns and the Oklahoma City Thunder – the 13th seed in the conference.
Portland is West’s 11th seed, lurking outside the league’s play-in spots.