With Damian Lillard's career-high 29 points, the Portland Trail Blazers got the better of the San Antonio Spurs 98-90 Thursday night.
Lillard also contributed with six assists and chipped in with seven rebounds against the Spurs to hand them their second straight loss.
"I think I've had a few better games even though this is the most points I've scored," the Associated Press quoted Lillard as saying. "I think this was the best I've done in a game we really needed."
Lillard said he anticipated his team's win against San Antonio, who are second only to Oklahoma City in the Western Conference.
"I think this whole week we've been locked in as a team. It had that feel," Lillard added. "Guys were excited to play."
LaMarcus Aldridge added 22 points for the Blazers, while J.J. Hickson had 12 points and 12 rebounds.
The Blazers outscored Spurs in the first quarter 23-21 and in the second quarter, they scored 26, against the opponents' 24, as Portland entered the second half with a four-point lead.
The Blazers kept coming up trumps against the Spurs, scoring three points more than their opponents in the third quarter. Lillard scored 12 points out of his team's total 29 in the penultimate quarter.
"I think he's a wonderful player," Spurs coach Greg Popovich said. "His skills are obvious, but I like his demeanor as much as I like his skills.
"He really plays within himself, he's not afraid of contact and he really understands how to take advantage of situations."
With Nicolas Batum's three-pointer, the Blazers were leading 96-90 with 1:08 remaining in the game. Then Batum had two free throws with eight seconds left, which he duly converted to give his side an eight-point victory.
For Spurs, Tony Parker top scored with 21 points, whereas Tim Duncan added 16 points and chipped in with six rebounds.
"I don't know if it was fatigue," Duncan said. "We just couldn't really ever find our rhythm."
"We hung in there but Nicolas killed us with that three at the very end," Popovich added. "It could have been anybody's game but for that three."
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