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Damian Lillard · Everybody in the building expressed shock that the shot went in — except for the shooter himself. Damian Lillard has built the foundation of his career on making impossible shots from ridiculous ranges, so when his latest inexplicable 37-footer dropped to send the Portland Trail Blazers to the Western Conference semifinals, all there was left to do was wave goodbye to his fallen opponent. The Oklahoma City Thunder were on the receiving end of one of the most iconic heaves of Lillard’s career in Game 5 of the first round as he calmly dribbled up the floor in a tie game and drained a dagger at the buzzer over Paul George from way, way downtown. Dame shot 17 for 33 from the field for 50 points, and his 10 3-pointers were a franchise record at the time — one of many records Lillard would eventually break en route to becoming Portland’s all-time leading scorer. He added seven rebounds, six assists and three steals in his squad’s thrilling 118-115 victory on April 23, 2019 as Portland finished off the Thunder in five. · State of Mint