Google News Damian Lillard on setting new record for most efficient 60-point game: That's crazy
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Damian Lillard exploded for 60 points against the Utah Jazz and also set a new record for the most efficient 60-point game in NBA history. On Wednesday night, Lillard's 60 points propelled the Portland Trail Blazers to a 134-124 win over the Jazz.
Against the Jazz, Lillard shot 21-of-29 from the field and also knocked down 9-of-10 of his free throws. "It's the most efficient 60-point game ever, for real? That's crazy. I didn't know that. I'm just sitting here thinking I had a shot at the end of the shot clock from half court toward the end that I shot.
It probably would have been a little bit better. I missed a free throw. Damn," Lillard said, per ESPN.
Lillard was historically efficient in his 60-point performance
Before Lillard, only two players managed to get to 60 point with less than 30 attempts from the field.
In 1990, Karl Malone had 26 field goal attempts but also 23 free-throw attempts. Four years ago, James Harden dropped 60 with 24 field goals but also had 23 attempts from the free-throw line. Because Malone and Harden scored way more points from the free-throw line than Lillard did in his 60-point performance, the Trail Blazers star now owns a record for the most efficient 60-point game.
Also, Lillard became the fifth player in NBA history to record 60 points four times. After beating the Jazz, Lillard admitted that he was probably surprised by the Jazz not throwing at him everything they had earlier in the game.
"I don't want to say it was easy because they had some big bodies and some long defenders out there, but I think usually I get into a groove where I'm just going without making those simple plays, that teams start to come after me sooner.
I was kicking it ahead, I was swinging it, so it didn't feel like they came after me until the very end. That's why it seemed like the most simple one of all of them," Lillard said.