Damian Lillard Makes Bold Prediction About Trail Blazers Season

• Damian Lillard is optimistic the Portland Trail Blazers can still make the playoffs
• The Blazers have had a tough season and sit 13th in the Western Conference with a 31-36 record
• Lillard is having an incredible individual season, averaging 32.1 points per game

It's been a difficult season for the Portland Trail Blazers. They are 13th and are two losses back of a play-in tournament spot.

They narrowly lost their last game against the Philadelphia 76ers despite leading by as much as 21 points. Balzer's talisman, Damian Lillard, is optimistic.

They made an incredible 10-4 start to the season but crumbled in the last few months. With their 31-36 record, they could still make the playoffs in the Western Conference.

They've won just three of their last ten games and have some tough games remaining, most of them against West playoff competitors.

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Lillard has been nothing short of superb all season. He is averaging 32.1 in the NBA this season and recently joined an exclusive club by scoring 71 points against the Houston Rockets last month, per ESPN.

Lillard optimistic about Blazers' chances

Speaking to SI's Chris Mannix, Lillard feels his team can make the playoffs because of the West's chaos.

“It looks like we’re struggling, but there are [five] teams with 33 or 34 losses,” Lillard says. “So it looks like, ‘Oh, you know, trying to get a play-in spot.’ But everybody’s playing each other and everybody’s in the same thing. We could end up fifth. In a perfect world, it’s possible. Right now, we just have to keep fighting and try to be one of those teams that comes out on the other side.”

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3.5 games separate fifth-placed LA Clippers and the Blazers in 13th. Can they step it up in the remaining 15 games?

Lillard wins three-point contest

Sports Brief earlier reported on Lillard winning the three-point contest in the just-concluded All-Star Game in Utah. He became the first Blazers player to win the contest.

Hield went first in the final round, scoring 25 points; therefore, Lillard needed to score 26 to win the whole thing.

The Blazers sharpshooter made 10 of his first 16 shots but needed to finish strong. Heading into the final rack, the 7x All-Star needed to make at least four threes, including his money ball shot worth two points.

He missed the first shot but made the final four to get 26 points, beating Hield's total.