Trail Blazers reassert mastery over Cavaliers
Westbrook nails 18th triple-double in Thunder win
PORTLAND — CJ McCollum had 27 points and the Trail Blazers shook of fatigue caused by weather-related travel delays to beat the defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers 102-86 on Wednesday night (Thursday Phl time).
Allen Crabbe added 24 points off the bench for the Blazers, who have won four straight regular-season games against the Cavs at the Moda Center. Portland led by as many as 24 points.
LeBron James had 20 points and 11 rebounds for Cleveland, which has lost just 10 games this season.
McCollum, who had 21 points in the second half, hit a 3-pointer that put Portland up 8569 with just under nine minutes left in the game, then gestured for the crowd to stand as the Cavaliers called a timeout.
McCollum has had seven straight games with 25 points or more.
A snowstorm that dumped as much as 14 inches on parts of Portland caused travel problems for both teams late Tuesday.
The Cavaliers, who fell to the Utah Jazz 100-92 on Tuesday night, were delayed in getting to Portland but finally arrived about 3 a.m. Wednesday.
The Trail Blazers beat the Lakers in Los Angeles 108-87 on Tuesday night. The team's flight was sent to Seattle, and players spent the night there. They flew into Portland by midday Wednesday and stayed in hotel to rest until game time.
"The show must go on," McCollum said before the game.
The Cavaliers got a scare with 1:21 left in the first quarter when Kevin Love collided slightly with AlFarouq Aminu and fell to the ground, clutching his left knee. Love walked off the court under his own power and returned a short time later.
In Oklahoma City, Russell Westbrook made fewer than a third of his shots and still dominated the Memphis Grizzlies.
Oklahoma City's point guard posted his 18th tripledouble of the season, and the Thunder defeated the Grizzlies 103-95. Westbrook shot just 6 of 19 and missed all seven of his 3-pointers, but finished with 24 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists for the 55th triple-double of his career. He already has matched his total from last season less than halfway through this one, and his 2015-16 total was the most for an NBA player since Magic Johnson had 18 during the 1981-82 season.
Westbrook isn't just rolling up stats. The Thunder are 15-3 this season and 33-3 the past two seasons when he gets a triple-double.
"People can get wrapped up in numbers and talk about numbers, and the numbers don't reflect winning," Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan said. "When Russell has gotten the tripledoubles, we've won, and that's what he, I think, is most focused about."
Enes Kanter scored 19 points and Victor Oladipo added 16 for the Thunder, who won their third straight and avenged their worst loss of the season. Oklahoma City lost 114-80 in Memphis on Dec. 29, a game Westbrook was ejected from.
Mike Conley scored 22 points, and Zach Randolph and Chandler Parsons each scored 14 for the Grizzlies.
(AP)