LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Damian Lillard launched from 33 feet out and could only watch and wait as the ball caromed off the back rim and shot straight up into the air -- the fate of the game, and his Portland Trail Blazers' frantic playoff push, hanging in the balance.
The hottest player in the NBA bubble naturally got the shooter's bounce. The late 3 gave Lillard 61 points, tying a career high, and propelled his Blazers to a 134-131 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.
As Lillard relished the victory that wrestled sole possession of eighth place in the Western Conference standings away from the Memphis Grizzlies with one seeding game to go, courtside cameras captured the All-Star making a demand.