Damian Lillard on 55-Point Performance: 'It Don't Matter. We Lost the Game'

Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard downplayed his 55-point, record-setting performance in Tuesday's 147-140 double-overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets.

"It don't matter. We lost the game," Lillard told reporters. "At this point, all that matters is we can't lose another game in the series. We go out there and we play to win the game, and we came up short."

The six-time All-Star put Dame Time on full display with an  NBA playoff-record 12 threes, including a pair of game-tying jumpers late in regulation and the first overtime to keep the Blazers alive. It wasn't quite enough as the loss put team in a 3-2 hole in the best-of-seven first-round Western Conference series.

Lillard was nothing short of awe-inspiring in Game 5. He hit 17 of his 24 shots, including 12 of 17 from beyond the arc, and also connected on nine of his 10 free-throw attempts. He added 10 assists, six rebounds, three blocks and a steal in 52 minutes.

The Blazers simply couldn't come up with enough clutch defensive stops in the fourth quarter or overtime to help the point guard's heroics lead them to the win.

"Tough loss, man," Lillard said. "It's do-or-die now."

While the 30-year-old California native wasn't in a celebratory mood, pretty much everyone else at Ball Arena in Denver praised his efforts:

• Blazers head coach Terry Stotts: "It was the best playoff performance I've ever seen. He gave it his all."

• Nuggets head coach Michael Malone: "Damian Lillard was superhuman tonight."

• Blazers guard CJ McCollum: "The degree of difficulty on which he hit some of those shots is godlike."

• Nuggets center Nikola Jokic: "It was a pleasure to be on the court to witness that."

Lillard has scored 178 points in the series (35.6 PPG), and the Blazers are averaging 120.4 points through the first five games. They allowed 109 and 95 points in their two wins, but gave up at least 120 points in all three of the losses.

So it's been a pretty straightforward series in regard to when Portland is able to generate at least some key second-half stops it wins—Denver scored below 50 points after halftime in both Games 1 and 4, the two Blazers victories in the series.

While most of the focus has been on Lillard's spectacular offensive play, the most important factor for Portland trying to win the final two games in order to advance comes at the other end of the floor.

Of course, that's easier said than done with the Trail Blazers having no answer for Jokic, who's averaged 32.4 points, 11.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists to push the Nuggets into the series lead.

The Blazers return home to the Moda Center for Game 6, which is set for Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on TNT.