True Trail Blazers
Portland hold off Nuggets to level playoff series
LOS ANGELES: C.J. McCollum scored 20 points as the Portland Trail Blazers held off a late rally from the Denver Nuggets to score a series-levelling victory in their NBA Western Conference playoff duel.
McCollum led the scorers in a hard-fought 97-90 victory on the road at Denver’s Pepsi Centre to tie the best-of-seven series at 1-1.
Portland talisman Damian Lillard had a relatively quiet night, restricted to just 14 points after shooting five-of-17 from the field.
However, double-digit contributions Enes Kanter, Zach Collins, Rodney Hood and Al-Farouq Aminu helped Portland get over the line.
“I really liked our approach in the first half, particularly the first quarter,” Blazers coach Terry Stotts said.
“I thought we were a lot better offensively than in game one. We did a better job on the ball. I liked the tone we set for most of the game.”
Game three in the series takes place in Portland today.
Nuggets coach Mike Malone said Denver had struggled to match Portland’s physical approach in the first half.
“In that first half they were the aggressor, they were much more physical,” Malone said.
“But I’m extremely proud of the way they came back in the second half. But we’ve got to do it for 48 minutes and that was the most disappointing thing about tonight – we brought it in the second half but in the first half it was not there.”
Stotts meanwhile had raised eyebrows earlier, wearing a bowtie on the sidelines during the game. The Blazers coach revealed it was a tribute to video co-ordinator Jonathan Yim, who was injured in a car crash with his family last week. “On Wednesdays, Jon would wear bowties to the game, so tonight was bowtie Wednesday,” Stotts said. “I think bowties are undefeated this year.”