Mccollum helps Blazers tie series

DENVER — C.J. Mccollum scored 20 points, picking up the slack with backcourt mate Damian Lillard struggling, and the Portland Trail Blazers turned back the Denver Nuggets 97-90 Wednesday to square their playoff series at one win each.

The Trail Blazers led by 15 at halftime, 17 in the third quarter and 14 to start the fourth, but the Nuggets pulled within 95-90 in the final minute thanks to a 14 offensive rebounds and a 19-9 run before Rodney Hood’s two free throws with 17 seconds left iced it.

Lillard added 14 points but shot 5-for-17, missing six of seven 3-point tries. Still, the Blazers seized the homecourt advantage with the series shifting to Portland for Game 3 on Friday.

Nikola Jokic had 16 points and 14 rebounds for Denver but got off to a slow start and wasn’t nearly the take-control force he was in Game 1, when he scored 37 points. With Jokic taking — and missing — just one shot in the first quarter and scoring six points in the first half, the Nuggets trailed 50-35 at halftime after the franchise’s worst quarter ever at home in the playoffs, one in which they missed 18 of 23 shots, including all 10 3-point attempts.

Denver also lost sparkplug forward

Torrey Craig, whose nose was bloodied after he was knocked down and slammed into teammate Monte Morris’ foot early in the second quarter.

Moments after Craig hobbled off, leaving a trail of blood, Blazers forward Maurice Harkless rolled his right ankle and also left the game. Harkless didn’t return, but Craig came back in the second half.