Portland Thorns claim NWSL title

Lindsey Horan scored in the 50th minute, and the Portland Thorns beat the North Carolina Courage 1-0 on Saturday for the National Women’s Soccer League championship.

It is Portland’s second title. The Thorns also won the NWSL’s inaugural championship in 2013.

The Courage, who finished the regular season atop the league standings, lost both Taylor Smith and Kristen Hamilton to injury in the first half of the physical match in front of 8,124 fans at Orlando City Stadium.

No team has ever won the Supporters’ Shield and the championship in the same season.

The Courage also were trying for back-to-back titles. NBA BLAZERS’ MCCOLLUM The NBA has handed Portland guard CJ McCollum a one-game suspension for leaving the bench area during an altercation.

McCollum took several steps onto the floor when Portland’s Caleb Swanigan and Phoenix’s Alex Len tussled in the fourth quarter of the teams’ preseason game Wednesday night. McCollum did not engage anyone, but leaving the bench area merited the penalty under NBA rules.

He will have to miss the first game he is physically able to play, meaning he will likely sit Portland’s opener on Wednesday coincidentally, back in Phoenix.

McCollum has missed only four games in the past two seasons. He averaged a career-best 23 points per game on 48 percent shooting last season.