Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard: Scores 32 points in first half

Lillard finished with 42 points (11-24 FG, 9-16 3Pt, 11-13 FT), 10 assists, four rebounds and a blocked shot across 42 minutes in Monday's 128-109 loss to the Nuggets. Lillard was splendid in the first half, but then the Nuggets pulled a fast one by putting Aaron Gordon in front of the All-Star. The result was a massive neutralization of Lillard. The standout guard can never be stopped completely, but Gordon noticeably rattled Lillard for the remainder of the game, and most of his shot attempts were heavily contested. Still, Lillard finished with nine three-pointers, which is a season-high.