Watch: Damian Lillard hits insane 3rd quarter half-court shot at NBA All-Star Game 2023, leaves fans awed: "Not impressive bc it’s not Steph Curry"
Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard lived up to his reputation as a marksman at the 2023 All-Star Game. As Lillard pulled up from deep in the third quarter, fans couldn't resist sending in their reactions to the shot on Twitter.
The 2023 All-Star Game saw some of the best players in the league facing off against each other. Although several players missed the game due to injury, the league still had enough talent to go around and put on a show.
Considering sharpshooters such as Steph Curry and Trae Young were not part of the festivities this year, Damian Lillard emerged as the go-to marksman for the ASG.
Considering that Lillard had also won the Starry 3-point Contest on Saturday night, the Trail Blazers superstar had the hot hand heading into Sunday night's game as well.
Starting off hot in the first quarter, Dame could be seen knocking down some impressive threes to keep Team Giannis in the game. However, Lillard's crowning moment came in the third quarter.
With a 40-33 lead in the third, Team Giannis coasted for most of the quarter. At this juncture, Lillard came through to deliver a huge 3-pointer from the halfcourt to extend the lead to double-digits.
DAME HITS FROM HALFCOURT 😱
#NBAAllStar | Live on TNT https://t.co/A4kMV21GBc
With fans in Utah left awestruck by the long-distance bomb, fans across the world couldn't resist sharing their reactions on Twitter. Here are some of the best ones:
@NBA That should be worth more.
@NBA "Wasn't even good shot selection" - Paul George
🥵@NBA Dame shooting like he being featured in ban boys 3😮💨🥵
@NBA When you show em you own both sides!
@NBA The only player that can shoot like that
@NBA it’s not impressive bc it’s not steph curry 🙄
@NBA All trying to be curry
@NBA The way that shot went into the basket was smooth as hell.
@NBA It would be more entertaining if Steph Curry played rn
@NBA That's a normal shot for him
@NBA Effortless tho
@NBA Dame time
@NBA He thinks he’s him
Ending the third with a 59-49 lead, Dame certainly helped Team Giannis secure a win for the quarter.
Read: Why is Steph Curry not playing at the 2023 NBA All-Star Game?
Damian Lillard calls the game in Utah
After a tremendous shot to extend the lead in the third quarter, Damian Lillard also put up a shot to put an end to matters in the fourth. With the game-winner to seal the win for Team Giannis, Dame called the game in Utah.
While the tag itself appears to be glorious, the events leading up to it were anything but. Given that Team Giannis was in a very secure position to win the game, Lillard and Donovan Mitchell could be seen pulling up from halfcourt and beyond to knock down the game-winner.
With several disappointing misses, Team LeBron managed to close the gap behind Jaylen Brown's comparatively better shot selection. However, with only one point separating Team Giannis from the win, the game-winner was overdue.
At that point, Lillard secured a rebound off Lauri Markkanen's missed 3-point attempt and shot a turnaround jumper from the left wing to put an end to matters.
DAME TIME. THAT'S GAME.
#TeamGiannis reaches the target score of 182 to win the 2023 #NBAAllStar Game! https://t.co/PElkOAy5OJ
Damian Lillard ended the game with 26 points, four assists, and three rebounds in 30 minutes of playing time. As Team Giannis broke LeBron James' ASG winning streak, Jayson Tatum also made ASG history with a 55-point performance for the night.
Read: Who won the MVP at 2023 NBA All-Star Game? All you need to know