Damian Lillard passes Walt Frazier for 70th in all-time assists

Damian Lillard (5,049) passed Hall of Famer Walt Frazier (5,040) for 70th on the NBA’s all-time assists list, in the Portland Trail Blazers’ 138-129 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday. Lillard now ranks 12th among active players in career assists.

The seven-time All-Star trails Chris Paul (11,300), LeBron James (10,354), Russell Westbrook (9,002), James Harden (6,813), Kyle Lowry (6,701), Mike Conley (5,740), John Wall (5,735), Jrue Holiday (5,693), Stephen Curry (5,632), Andre Iguodala (5,133), and Ricky Rubio (5,091).

Referring to a couple of NBA betting sites, Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers possess 19th-ranked odds to win the championship. A few sportsbooks are showing better playoff odds for the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans.

With his first assist tonight, @Dame_Lillard has passed Walt Frazier (5,040) on the NBA’s all-time assists list to move up to the No. 70 spot.

— Trail Blazers PR (@TrailBlazersPR) February 11, 2023

Damian Lillard needs 43 assists to pass Rubio for 69th all time. In Friday’s victory against OKC, Lillard ended his performance with 38 points, two rebounds, nine dimes, and one steal in 36 minutes of action. He also finished 10-of-18 (55.6%) shooting from the field and knocked down six 3-pointers.

Moreover, the Thunder scored 30-plus points each quarter. Portland’s defense was nonexistent from start to finish. “We just couldn’t stop a nosebleed, man. It was really bad,” Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. “But it started you know at the start, really. And they’re a tough team to guard. They really are.”

Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard passes Hall of Famer Walt Frazier for 70th in all-time assists

Through 44 starts this season, the guard is averaging a career-high 31 points per game. In addition to logging 4.1 boards, and 7.3 assists per contest, he’s shooting a career-best 46.5% from the floor and 36.9% beyond the arc.

On Jan. 25, in Portland’s 134-124 win over the Utah Jazz, Damian Lillard scored a season-high 60 points in 40 minutes played. The six-time All-NBA member shot 21-of-29 (72.4%) shooting from the field and 9-of-15 (60%) outside the arc.

Damian Lillard recorded his 44th career 30-point, 10-assist game. That's more than the rest of Trail Blazers history combined (43). pic.twitter.com/jpnW7ZPjsm

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) February 9, 2023

Damian Lillard notched the most efficient 60-point game in NBA history. On Dec. 27, Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic recorded career highs of 60 points and 21 boards in a 126-121 win over the New York Knicks. The Dallas guard became the first player in league history to post a 60/21/10 stat line.

Nonetheless, this was not the league’s most efficient 60-point game. Doncic shot 21-of-31 (67.7%) from the floor and 2-of-6 (33.3%) from 3-point range. Lillard’s accuracy that night was unrivaled.