Damian Lillard is on a roll the likes of which we’ve never seen in the NBA. After dropping 48 points on an emotional night in Los Angeles on Friday, he came back home to Portland and followed that with a 51-point outing to lead the Trail Blazers to a 124-107 win over the Utah Jazz. 

He shot 17 of 29 from the field, 9 of 15 from 3 and also dished out 12 assists. All told, he was responsible for 79 of the Trail Blazers’ 124 points, or 63.7 percent. By the end of the game, even the Trail Blazers announcers were at a loss for words: “Phenomenal … what can you say?” The Blazers crowd had an answer, however, serenading Lillard with emphatic “M-V-P!” chants. 

Although Lillard isn’t the favorite — that would be Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo — he’s absolutely playing at an MVP level during this stretch. And if there was a higher honor than MVP, he would be playing at that level as well. It doesn’t matter who he plays, how many days of rest he’s on, or how many of his teammates are injured; he’s completely unstoppable right now. 

The 51 points on Saturday night marked his third 50-point game in the last two weeks, and his fourth of the season. During his last six outings, he’s put up scoring performances of 61 points, 47, 50, 36, 48 and 51, and in that span is averaging 48.8 points, 10.1 assists and 7.1 assists on a ridiculous 54.7 percent from the field and 48.8 percent from 3. 

Although his NBA-record streak of five straight games with at least 35 points, five rebounds and five assists came to an end in this one, he did make another bit of history by becoming the first player to make at least six threes in six consecutive games. Furthermore, he’s the first player in NBA history to to average more than 45 points and 10 assists for a six-game span. 

“I’ve never been in this type of rhythm in my life,” Lillard said in his walk-off interview after beating the Jazz, and it seems safe to say no one else has either. 

You could keep going with some of the ridiculous numbers that Lillard has put up during this run, but perhaps the most important is five. The Blazers are 5-1 during these past six games, and after a brutal start to the season are all of a sudden within striking distance of the playoffs. 

They’re still under .500 at 23-27, but you might not have to reach that mark to earn the eighth spot in the Western Conference. After this win, they’re just 1.5 games back of the young Memphis Grizzlies, and with Lillard operating at this level they could overtake them before the All-Star break.