'From the parking lot': Insane buzzer-beater stuns NBA Playoffs
The fourth quarter is called ‘Dame Time’ for a reason.
Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard is renowned for his cold-blooded shot making late in games, and he turned to it once again to sink the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
With the clock winding down and scores level at 115, Lillard found himself matched up against defensive supremo and MVP candidate Paul George.
If Lillard was worried he didn’t show it, stepping back from where the logo is painted on the court to sink one of the most cold-blooded shots in recent NBA history.
The shot handed Portland a 118-115 win over the Thunder, as well as a 4-1 series win.
Lillard finished with an incredible 50 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
Insane shot detonates on social media
Naturally, NBA fans went absolutely hog wild online after Lillard’s insane shot.
Prominent journalists and even other NBA players weighed in on the incredible shot.
DAMIAN LILLARD FROM THE PARKING LOT.
FOR THE WIN. pic.twitter.com/B0GiGEbdvc
— Shed Sports (@shedsports) April 24, 2019
GET OUT OF TOWN!!!!!! HOW DEEP CAN YOU GO DAMIAN LILLARD?!?! #OKCvsPOR pic.twitter.com/KrxNU5KN8h
— Kyle Seeley (@ItsKyleSeeley) April 24, 2019
Damian Lillard is a GOAT
— Lil Key (@BmoreLilKey) April 24, 2019
Holy Dame 👀❄️ #OKCvsPOR
— AJ Puckett (@Puckett_AJ15) April 24, 2019
Damian. Lillard.
— John Dickinson (@JDJohnDickinson) April 24, 2019
DAME. Set. Match. 👋🏼#NBAPlayoffs #RipCity #BlazersThunder #OKCvsPOR
— Jimmy Fox (@IamJimmyFox) April 24, 2019
Wtf 😳😳😳 #NBAPlayoffs
— Andrew Bogut (@andrewbogut) April 24, 2019
Unreal @Dame_Lillard
— That Boy Jrue (@Jrue_Holiday11) April 24, 2019
@Dame_Lillard bye bye ⌚️
— Sue Bird (@S10Bird) April 24, 2019
Lillard said the team was far from finished in the playoffs.
“When you keep fighting and you keep and you keep working through it and stay together, there’s a reward waiting for you. I think this is the beginning of our result,” he said on the court.
The Trail Blazers superstar waved goodbye to the Thunder as they left the court, capping an occasionally chippy series in which Lillard butted heads with Thunder star and former league MVP Russell Westbrook.
Dame. Called. Game. 👋 pic.twitter.com/8Z0skeDbZE
— Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) April 24, 2019
unreal pic.twitter.com/wnfgWPsHAx
— Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) April 24, 2019
It wasn’t even the first buzzer beater of its kind Lillard has hit in his career.
He hit a similarly clutch shot to sink James Harden and the Houston Rockets back in 2014, proving once and for all how clutch he is.
MADE FOR THESE MOMENTS!
Damian Lillard has done this before.
👌👌👌 pic.twitter.com/ZlmwHf9Bj5
— FOX Basketball (@FoxBasketball) April 24, 2019