Damian Lillard explodes for Blazers record in second half to shut up a heckler

NBA hecklers may want to take note: When you talk trash to the Portland Trail Blazers, keep Damian Lillard’s name out of your mouth. Otherwise, he might go off and make you look like a fool.

That’s exactly what happened during Thursday night’s game. After a slow first half, in which he scored just seven points, Lillard exploded for 34 points in the second half. His outburst set a Blazers record for points scored during a half and helped the team defeat the Orlando Magic 124-114.

What was the reason for Lillard’s incredible second half? Turns out, he was out to prove a heckler wrong.

Lillard reportedly confronted the fan after the second quarter, telling the fan he was going to get the Magic in trouble if he kept talking. Once Lillard returned from the locker room for the second half, he showed the fan exactly what he meant.

Lillard hit 11 of his 15 attempts in the second half, including going 5 for 8 from 3-point range. He finished the game with 41 points. It was the 17th time Lillard scored 40 or more in a game.

There’s a good chance Lillard won’t run into that fan again this season. The Blazers do play the Magic in late November, but the game is in Portland.

Based on how well he played in the second half, Lillard might want to consider buying the heckling fan a plane ticket just so he can drop 40 points on the Magic again.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik

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