Former Weber State standout — and current NBA star — Damian Lillard nabbed a share of NBA history Sunday night when he became just the eighth player of all time to score at least 70 points in a game, according to ESPN.
Lillard’s 71-point performance came in a 131-114 Portland Trail Blazers win over the Houston Rockets. The next highest scorers in the game, Jae’Sean Tate and Alperen Sengun, had just 17 points each.
With his big game, Lillard tied Donovan Mitchell’s own 71-point performance from earlier this season. The former Utah Jazzman joked on Twitter that his own mom was giving him a hard time about Lillard’s play.
The other active NBA player in the 70-point club is Devin Booker, who scored 70 points for the Phoenix Suns on March 24, 2018, according to Sportskeeda.
Other notable members include Kobe Bryant and Wilt Chamberlain, who met or surpassed the 70-point mark six times in his career.
Around half of Lillard’s 71 points on Sunday came from 3 pointers. He went 13 for 22 from beyond the arc and a perfect 14 for 14 from the free-throw line.
CBS Sports noted that Lillard was already averaging more than 37 points per game since mid-January. Now, that average will be pushed even higher.
“Lillard is the only player in NBA history to score 70 points and make at least 10 3-pointers in a single game. He was already the only player in NBA history to score 60 points and make at least 10 3s,” CBS Sports reported.
Lillard and the Trail Blazers are currently fighting for a spot in the postseason. They next play Tuesday against Golden State.