Big second quarter lifts Blazers
CJ McCollum scored 20 points, Enes Kanter had 15 points and nine rebounds, and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the host Denver Nuggets 97-90 in Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinal series on Wednesday night.
Rodney Hood added 15 points while Damian Lillard scored 14 for the Blazers, who evened the series at 1-1. Al-Farouq Aminu contributed 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Zach Collins scored 10 points.
Nikola Jokic had 16 points and 14 rebounds, and Jamal Murray scored 15 points for Denver. The Nuggets got 14 points and 11 rebounds from Paul Millsap.
The next two games will be in Portland on Friday and Sunday.
Denver forward Torrey Craig sustained a nose injury when he fell into the leg of teammate Monte Morris early in the second quarter and was bleeding profusely. He was helped to the locker room and returned to the bench in the second half wearing a clear mask. He came back into the game late in the third quarter.
Portland forward Maurice Harkless didn’t play in the second half after rolling his right ankle late in the second quarter.
Portland took control with a dominant defensive second quarter. The Blazers
held Denver to just 12 points in the period and 5-of-23 shooting from the floor. The Nuggets went scoreless over the last 4:01 and missed all 10 of their 3-point attempts in the period.
Denver missed its last eight shots and 10 of its last 11 of the quarter to go into halftime trailing 50-35.
Denver made a run in the final period. After Seth Curry hit a 3-pointer to put
Portland ahead 86-71 with 9:24 left, the Nuggets went on a 10-2 run over the next four minutes to get within seven.
76ERS LOOK FOR LEAD AT HOME >> The Philadelphia 76ers will return home and look to take a 2-1 lead when they host the Toronto Raptors in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals tonight.
The third-seeded Sixers evened the series at one game apiece with a gritty 94-89 win Monday in Toronto.
Philadelphia could be short-handed once again, though forward Mike Scott, who has been out with a heel contusion and plantar fasciitis, did practice on Wednesday. All-Star center Joel Embiid also continues to be hampered by a sore left knee, though he remains probable.