Damian Lillard is the Most Clutch Player in the NBA

DAMIAN LILLARD IS THE MOST CLUTCH PLAYER IN THE NBA

Anybody that was watching the Portland Trail Blazers-Oklahoma City Thunder game on Tuesday night knew what was coming. Portland held a double-digit lead until the Thunder stormed back in the fourth quarter. Yet, what happened next has been seen TIME and TIME again. DAME TIME that is. 

Damian Lillard only had 19 points at the time Portland was trailing by five points and was in need of a spark before he exploded for 12 points in the final 4:10 to carry the Blazers to victory and keep their now 5-game winning streak alive. OKC is very familiar with the legend of Lillard in the clutch as they were iconically eliminated after he drained a deeeeep game-winner in Game 5 of their playoff series and waved them goodbye. 

Lillard was less animated this time around during a regular-season game against one of the worst teams in the league, but OKC quietly has one of the best defensive units in the NBA. Equipped with Lu Dort, Hamidou Diallo, George Hill, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder have a plethora of defensively-gifted Guards but none could stop the inevitable. 

Portland’s superstar has made a career of coming through in the clutch. Earlier this season, he memorably drained two huge 3PMs in the final seconds to beat Chicago including his third career buzzer beater, the most in Blazers franchise history. Just last game, he stepped up again when he buried the Mavs with a final-minute step-back Johnson. 

He leads the NBA in an abundance of clutch stats, raising his FG% to an astounding 58.1% when the games matter most. There is not a player in the league that is more consistent or effective during the most important possessions of a game than Damian Lillard, and that’s what makes the Blazers as dangerous as any team in the league. 

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