For years, the Portland Trail Blazers have lived and died — but mostly lived — on a go-to specialty down the stretch: keep the game close, and when it matters most, put the ball into the hands of their celebrated closer and get out of the way. Valiant effort as he put forth, Damian Lillard was unable to put the Blazers over the top against the defending Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night. As a result, they fall in a 111-107 overtime thriller.
Lillard, in some ways, was statistically brilliant, chipping in a 31-point, 10-assist performance, going toe-to-toe with Chris Paul.