In one of the most intense games so far, the Portland Trail Blazers held off the Brooklyn Nets barrage to grab the win. They were led by Damian Lillard who has earned a reputation for being clutch. But the Nets didn’t back down at all. Led by Caris LeVert, the Nets fought throughout the game and bowed out after missing the buzzer-beater.

After the game, Lillard spoke highly about LeVert and how he was effective all night.

“Caris LeVert is cold”, Lillard said. “He’s a great player, he’s going to find a find to be effective. He got into the paint a lot, he lived in the paint, he finished, made tough shots. He was crafty and creative all night.”

Caris LeVert: The latest star in Brooklyn

After coming into the bubble without three starters and other rotational players, the responsibility of leading the Nets was on LeVert’s shoulders. And he has taken on the job in full force, leading them to an impressive 5-3 record in the seeding games. He averaged 26.6 points per game, 6.6 rebounds per game, and 5.6 assists per game while shooting 49.1% from the field.

Following tonight’s impressive display, where he ended with 37 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists. He shot 16/29 from the field and killed the Blazers with his dangerous drives in the paint. He was a menace throughout and the Blazers struggled to contain him. One cannot blame him for the final shot after he did his best to keep them in the game all night.

Three-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade took to Twitter to appreciate LeVert for his performance tonight. And LeVert’s teammate Jamal Crawford replied to Wade and also praised him.

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The Nets may have lost tonight, but head coach Jacque Vaughn will be impressed with what he saw. They will go into the first round of playoffs as the underdogs against the Raptors, but they will not leave without a fight. Their playoff series begins on August 17 and it will be a blockbuster if the Nets can continue their momentum.