Nuggets survive Damian Lillard onslaught, fend off 22-point Blazers rally in double OT thriller
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Dame Time wasn’t the right time on Tuesday.
The Denver Nuggets took a wild ride in Game 5 against the Portland Trail Blazers. But they emerged with a 147-140 win in a double overtime thriller to take a 3-2 series lead.
They had to fend off a barrage of big shots from Damian Lillard en route to win. But they survived a 55-point onslaught from the Portland sharpshooter to put the Blazers on the brink of elimination.
Denver looked well on its way to an easy home win early, opening up a 10-0 lead it extended to 54-32 midway through the second quarter. But few leads are safe with Lillard in the opposing lineup. The Blazers closed the quarter with a 30-11 run to cut their deficit to 65-62 at halftime and ensure that the Nuggets were in for a battle.
Portland eventually took an 83-82 third-quarter lead, and the rivals traded blows from there in a game that wasn’t decided until the final buzzer. Lillard struck the final blow in regulation as a controversial late call set him up to force overtime.
Officials whistled Austin Rivers for a foul on a missed Lillard 3-point attempt with 9.8 seconds remaining, appearing to send Lillard to the line for potentially game-tying free throws. But the Nuggets challenged call. Officials determined that Rivers fouled Lillard before the gather — no free throws, but Portland retained possession.
From there, Lillard did what Lillard does best. With his second chance, he pulled up again from deep, this time with Michael Porter Jr. guarding him to no avail. Lillard’s 3-pointer connected with three seconds remaining to tie the game at 121, sending it to overtime.
The Nuggets again appeared in control in the extra session, holding a 134-126 lead in the game’s final minute. But Dame Time struck again. Lillard closed the final minute of overtime with 3-pointers on three straight possessions, including this one with 6.4 seconds remaining to force another extra session.
There was no more Blazers magic in the second extra overtime as a pair of Monte Morris free throws with eight seconds remaining extended Denver’s lead to five, ensuring that Lillard wouldn’t have another chance to force an extra period.
In the end, his 55 points and 12-of-17 effort from 3-point distance weren’t enough.
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