Dame Time: Damian Lillard silences Denver crowd to force multiple overtimes

Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard sent Game 5 in Denver to overtime with a clutch three-pointer. Then he did it again.

The Denver Nuggets didn’t foul Lillard while up three, which would’ve sent him to the line for two free throws. It’s a coaching strategy that, when employed, at least takes the ball out of a player the caliber of Lillard’s hands.

Nope, Mike Malone opted to play it out, and Lillard knew the ball was going in from the minute he shot it.

Lillard has done this time and time again, including in the postseason. Seemingly every time the ball is in hands last, the Blazers come away with the victory.

Overtime wasn’t enough to solve Lillard or the Blazers. Dame had over 50 points on a stunning 20 shots at one point. He forced double-overtime with this ridiculous spinning shot.

NBA Playoffs: Damian Lillard came up big, but was it enough?

In short, not really. Lillard added all he could, finishing with 55 points and 10 assists, while his teammates came up short time and time again.

it’s infuriating for a player who has given so much to the city of Portland, only to fail to reach the Blazers ultimate goal regardless of the sidekicks management surrounds him with. In a way, Tuesday night was symbolic for his entire Blazers career.