Page 4
Black History Month
February 24, 2016
Lillard Scores Career High
Output follows
pick by USA
Basketball
In the same month he was
named as a inalist to the 2016
USA Basketball Men’s National
Team, NBA All-star Portland Trail
Blazers guard Damian Lillard
came through with the best game
of his career.
Lillard scored a career-high 51
points, and had seven assists, six
steals and no turnovers to lead the
Blazers to a stunningly dominant
137-105 win over the defending
champion Golden State Warriors
on Friday night in Portland.
“It’s a great feeling,” said Lil-
lard, who is from Oakland, Cal-
ifornia. “Especially against the
best team in the league. I haven’t
scored 50 since ninth grade.”
Lillard was recently added to
the roster of inalists for the 2016
U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball
Team. The oficial 12 players who
make the inal cutoff will be an-
nounced later this year.
The6-foot-3 Trail Blazer was
named to the 2014-16 USA Bas-
ketball Men’s National Team and
was a inalist for the 2014 USA
World Cup Team, and played in
two exhibition games during the
Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard shoots over Golden
State Warriors forward Draymond Green on his way of scoring a
career high 51 points during a home court victory Friday against
the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors. (AP Photo)
2014 USA National Team Tour.
Currently in his fourth NBA
season, Lillard is averaging ca-
reer-highs of 24.2 points (6th in
the NBA) and 7.3 assists per game
(7th in the NBA), while adding 4.4
rebounds per game, and shooting
41.8 percent from the ield, 36.2
percent from 3-point and 86.5 per-
cent from the foul line.
“I recently received a call from
Damian, and during our conversa-
tion he expressed his desire to be
considered for the U.S. Olympic
Team and to remain involved with
the USA National Team in the
future as well,” said Jerry Colan-
gelo, who has served as the man-
aging director of the USA Men’s
National Team since 2005. “Both
Mike (Krzyzewski) and I feel like
Damian is playing at a very high
level and that he should be added
to our list of Olympic inalists.”