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          Respect Time: Damian Lillard's 61-point masterpiece has NBA players buzzing

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          Lillard goes off for 61 points vs. Mavs (2:43)

          In his second straight game scoring more than 50 points, Damian Lillard racks up 61 points and eight assists as he leads the Trail Blazers to a 134-131 victory in a wild game against the Mavericks. (2:43)

          • ESPN.com
          Aug 12, 2020, 01:37 AM

          Can we get the LA Clippers to provoke Damian Lillard more often?

          The Portland Trail Blazers, fighting for their postseason lives, are in desperation mode as they seek the Western Conference's final playoff spot with the Memphis Grizzlies, Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs. Following the Blazers confrontational loss to the Clippers on Saturday, Lillard lit up the Philadelphia 76ers for 51 points in a 124-121 win, keeping Portland's postseason possibilities alive.

          Clearly, Lillard wasn't done.

          The Dallas Mavericks got caught up in Dame Time as the five-time All-Star eclipsed Sunday's effort with a record-setting 61-point performance in the Blazers 134-131 win. The biggest highlight came with 1 minute, 29 seconds left as Lillard launched a 33-footer with the ball bouncing straight up off the back rim above the backboard and subsequently falling through the hoop.

          In the aftermath, Lillard joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to accumulate three 60-point games in a season. Moreover, Lillard's 112 points in his past two games is the sixth most in the past 50 seasons, according to Elias Sports Bureau research.

          As the final horn sounded, Lillard had a Birdman-esque request for his critics.

          More importantly for the Blazers, they've now moved past the Grizzlies for the No. 8 seed in the West.

          The NBA world reacted in kind to Lillard's brilliant performance, as stars such as Dwyane Wade, Zach LaVine and DeMarcus Cousins all chimed in on Twitter to share their thoughts.

          After the Trail Blazers got to the locker room to decompress from the Dame D.O.L.L.A. experience, past and present teammates like Jusuf Nurkic, Meyers Leonard and Jake Layman heaped praise upon praise on their superstar point guard.

          MORE: NBA campus intel - Suns stay unbeaten, Lillard's 61 lifts Blazers into 8th