Good morning to everyone but especially to...
DAMIAN LILLARD...
Damian Lillard keeps on scoring, and the company he joins keeps getting better and better. Lillard scored a career-high and franchise-record 71 points in the Trail Blazers' 131-114 win over the Rockets. He's just the eighth player in NBA history to score 70-plus in a game.
The others to hit 70 or more? Wilt Chamberlain (six times) and Donovan Mitchell, Devin Booker, Kobe Bryant, David Robinson, David Thompson and Elgin Baylor (once each).The 71 points tie the eighth-most in an NBA game.Lillard made 13 threes, tied for second-most in a game with Stephen Curry and Zach LaVine. Klay Thompson holds the record with 14.Lillard had 41 points by halftime and, after a "quiet" nine in the third quarter, exploded for 21 more in the fourth. Our Sam Quinn broke down the incredible performance by the numbers.
... AND ALSO A GOOD MORNING TO THE ATLANTA HAWKS
Getty ImagesLast Tuesday, the Hawks fired their coach. Five days later, they hired their new one, and it is an excellent choice: Quin Snyder is heading to Atlanta on a five-year deal and is expected to coach the team tomorrow night.
Snyder, 56, coached the Jazz for eight seasons (2014-15 to 2021-22). Utah posted the seventh-best winning percentage over those eight seasons and had the league's best record in 2020-21.The Jazz's lack of playoff success -- no conference finals appearances in six playoff trips under Snyder -- eventually led to overhaul, with Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert and Snyder all leaving over the offseason.Snyder replaces Nate McMillan, who was fired during the All-Star break. The Hawks went 2-0 under interim head coach Joe Prunty. Atlanta is currently eighth in the East.Snyder helped turn Donovan Mitchell into a star, which is a good sign for a team that has two lead guards in Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. Snyder would have had plenty of suitors this summer had the Hawks waited. Instead, they moved quickly and couldn't have asked for a much better result.
