Damian Lillard Given Drug Test Right After Scoring Career-High 71 Points

Evidently, in this era of the NBA, a basketball player can’t have a career game without explanation.

According to USA Today, shortly after having a career game where he scored 71 points, Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard had to take a drug test.

Lillard’s 71 points were not only a career-high, but also set a franchise record for the Portland Trailblazers. It also matched the most points scored this season, which was done by Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell. In scoring 71 points, the Trailblazers guard is now tied for the eighth-most points scored in a game in NBA history. He is currently tied with Mitchell and two NBA Hall-of-Famers, Elgin Baylor (who did it in 1960) and David Robinson (who achieved the feat in 1994).

His performance was evidently so spectacular that the league felt it necessary to have him drug-tested. When asked what his reaction was to the drug test, Lillard said he was less than thrilled.

“I mean, honestly, I was like ‘Are y’all serious?’ I did the urine test yesterday and then they backed it up with the blood draw tonight after the game. That was actually the first time in my career getting tested after a game. And then aside from that, they know I am scared of needles. I know I got a lot of tattoos, but when you’re doing a blood draw it is different than tattoos.”

“It brought me down up from here to the floor, all the way until it was done. And then once they finished it I was like, ‘Alright, I got that out of the way, so.’”

Dame said TONIGHT was the first time he had been blood-draw drug-tested following a game in his entire career.

His full thoughts on it: pic.twitter.com/ZKu5vIKmrd

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) February 27, 2023

Oh, the Trailblazers won the game against the Houston Rockets, 131-114.

Lillard’s stat line for the game also included six rebounds and six assists. He made 22 of 38 shots overall and made 13 of 22 from 3-point range.