It hasn’t taken Damian Lillard long this season to regain his status as one of the top players in the NBA.
One night after scoring 25 points in a rare Portland victory over Oklahoma City, Lillard will lead the Trail Blazers into a rematch with the visiting Thunder on Wednesday night.
Lillard sat out last season after sustaining an Achilles tendon injury with the Milwaukee Bucks during the postseason in April 2025. His return for a second stint in Portland came a short time later, and last season was a campaign that consisted of non-stop rehabbing and watching the Trail Blazers play.
Having to observe so many games fueled Lillard, a nine-time All-Star and one of the top 3-point shooters in NBA history. He would watch pregame introductions and see the ups and downs during games, knowing there was nothing he could do to help the team with which he spent 11 seasons on his first tour of duty.
“It gives you an opportunity to feel how much you miss the game,” Lillard said of his absence. “When you’re away from that for a year, I think you get rejuvenated by missing it. It makes you come back with a different level of joy.”
Lillard, 36, is averaging 20 points to help much-improved Portland win seven of its first 10 games. He has 20 or more points on seven occasions. He has made 29 3-pointers, including four on Tuesday, when he sat out the fourth quarter due to the Trail Blazers’ comfortable lead.
In the 123-103 victory in Portland, Lillard scored 13 points in the third quarter, when the Trail Blazers turned a tie game at the half into a 17-point lead.
Near the end of the quarter, Lillard let fly with one of his signature 30-foot, 3-point attempts. The ball swished through the hoop with 1.1 seconds left, and Portland ended up cruising to just its second triumph in the past 21 matchups against the Thunder.
“He can pull up from halfcourt,” Portland star Deni Avdija said of Lillard. “He spaces the floor and makes the right decisions. He’s a great basketball player. We all benefit from him. It is very nice to have him.”
Avdija added 24 points, eight assists and six rebounds to help the Trail Blazers halt a two-game slide.
“You can’t be sloppy with your fundamentals or they’ll burn you,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said of Lillard and Avdija.
Oklahoma City saw a four-game winning streak end.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 26 points and eight rebounds and didn’t play in the final quarter for Oklahoma City. He made just 8 of 22 shots from the field.
Gilgeous-Alexander has topped 20 points in 10 of 11 games this season and is averaging 29.5 overall.
Jared McCain matched his season best of 21 points for his third 20-point output of the season.
Second-year pro Nique Clifford had four points and four rebounds in nearly 20 minutes in his Oklahoma City debut. The Thunder acquired Clifford from the Sacramento Kings on Sunday for a second-round draft pick in 2028 and 2030.
“There’s a versatility to him,” Daigneault said of Clifford. “On offense, he can play into a system. He seems to be a guy who can fit into what we do as a plug-in guy.”
Trail Blazers guard Chris Youngblood (right foot) exited in the fourth quarter on Tuesday and is unlikely to play in the rematch.
