{"id":1310210,"date":"2019-05-12T23:16:00","date_gmt":"2019-05-13T05:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/cj-mccollum-leads-blazers-past-nuggets-100-96-in-game-7\/"},"modified":"2019-05-12T23:16:00","modified_gmt":"2019-05-13T05:16:00","slug":"mccollum-leads-blazers-past-nuggets-100-96-in-game-7","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/local-news\/mccollum-leads-blazers-past-nuggets-100-96-in-game-7\/","title":{"rendered":"McCollum leads Blazers past Nuggets 100-96 in Game 7"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery\" readability=\"6.9043615344193\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-978113-55\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Trail_Blazers_Nuggets_Basketball_18661-49ec6-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Trail_Blazers_Nuggets_Basketball_18661-49ec6.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"AP | AP | Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum, right, drives past Denver Nuggets forward Mason Plumlee in the first half of Game 7 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Sunday, May 12, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo\/John Leyba)\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"9.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Trail_Blazers_Nuggets_Basketball_18661-49ec6.jpg\" alt=\"Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum, right, drives past Denver Nuggets forward Mason Plumlee in the first half of Game 7 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Sunday, May 12, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo\/John Leyba)\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"14\">\n<p><strong>Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum, right, drives past Denver Nuggets forward Mason Plumlee in the first half of Game 7 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Sunday, May 12, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo\/John Leyba)<\/strong><br \/>AP | AP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Trail_Blazers_Nuggets_Basketball_18661-49ec6-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Trail_Blazers_Nuggets_Basketball_18661-49ec6-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"AP | AP | Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, right, works the ball inside to the rim as Portland Trail Blazers forward Maurice Harkless defends in the first half of Game 7 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Sunday, May 12, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo\/John Leyba)\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"9.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Trail_Blazers_Nuggets_Basketball_18661-49ec6-1.jpg\" alt=\"Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, right, works the ball inside to the rim as Portland Trail Blazers forward Maurice Harkless defends in the first half of Game 7 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Sunday, May 12, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo\/John Leyba)\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"14\">\n<p><strong>Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, right, works the ball inside to the rim as Portland Trail Blazers forward Maurice Harkless defends in the first half of Game 7 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Sunday, May 12, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo\/John Leyba)<\/strong><br \/>AP | AP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Trail_Blazers_Nuggets_Basketball_18661-49ec6-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Trail_Blazers_Nuggets_Basketball_18661-49ec6-2.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"AP | AP | Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, right, goes up for a basket Portland Trail Blazers center Enes Kanter, left, in the first half of Game 7 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Sunday, May 12, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo\/John Leyba)\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"10.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Trail_Blazers_Nuggets_Basketball_18661-49ec6-2.jpg\" alt=\"Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, right, goes up for a basket Portland Trail Blazers center Enes Kanter, left, in the first half of Game 7 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Sunday, May 12, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo\/John Leyba)\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"16\">\n<p><strong>Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, right, goes up for a basket Portland Trail Blazers center Enes Kanter, left, in the first half of Game 7 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Sunday, May 12, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo\/John Leyba)<\/strong><br \/>AP | AP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Trail_Blazers_Nuggets_Basketball_18661-49ec6-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Trail_Blazers_Nuggets_Basketball_18661-49ec6-3.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"AP | AP | Denver Nuggets guard Gary Harris, center, goes up for a basket between Portland Trail Blazers guards Damian Lillard, back, and CJ McCollum in the first half of Game 7 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Sunday, May 12, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo\/John Leyba)\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"10.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Trail_Blazers_Nuggets_Basketball_18661-49ec6-3.jpg\" alt=\"Denver Nuggets guard Gary Harris, center, goes up for a basket between Portland Trail Blazers guards Damian Lillard, back, and CJ McCollum in the first half of Game 7 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Sunday, May 12, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo\/John Leyba)\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"16\">\n<p><strong>Denver Nuggets guard Gary Harris, center, goes up for a basket between Portland Trail Blazers guards Damian Lillard, back, and CJ McCollum in the first half of Game 7 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Sunday, May 12, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo\/John Leyba)<\/strong><br \/>AP | AP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Trail_Blazers_Nuggets_Basketball_18661-49ec6-4-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Trail_Blazers_Nuggets_Basketball_18661-49ec6-4.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"AP | AP | Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray dives into the fans in the courtside seats to save a loose ball in the first half of Game 7 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers Sunday, May 12, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo\/John Leyba)\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"8.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Trail_Blazers_Nuggets_Basketball_18661-49ec6-4.jpg\" alt=\"Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray dives into the fans in the courtside seats to save a loose ball in the first half of Game 7 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers Sunday, May 12, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo\/John Leyba)\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"12\">\n<p><strong>Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray dives into the fans in the courtside seats to save a loose ball in the first half of Game 7 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers Sunday, May 12, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo\/John Leyba)<\/strong><br \/>AP | AP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Trail_Blazers_Nuggets_Basketball_18661-49ec6-5-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Trail_Blazers_Nuggets_Basketball_18661-49ec6-5.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"AP | AP | Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum stands at center court waiting for the start of the first half of Game 7 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets Sunday, May 12, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo\/David Zalubowski)\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"8.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Trail_Blazers_Nuggets_Basketball_18661-49ec6-5.jpg\" alt=\"Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum stands at center court waiting for the start of the first half of Game 7 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets Sunday, May 12, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo\/David Zalubowski)\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"12\">\n<p><strong>Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum stands at center court waiting for the start of the first half of Game 7 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets Sunday, May 12, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo\/David Zalubowski)<\/strong><br \/>AP | AP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Trail_Blazers_Nuggets_Basketball_18661-49ec6-6-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Trail_Blazers_Nuggets_Basketball_18661-49ec6-6.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"AP | AP | Denver Nuggets guard Monte Morris, front, drives to the rim past Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum, back left, forward Zach Collins and guard Seth Curry in the first half of Game 7 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Sunday, May 12, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo\/John Leyba)\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"10.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Trail_Blazers_Nuggets_Basketball_18661-49ec6-6.jpg\" alt=\"Denver Nuggets guard Monte Morris, front, drives to the rim past Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum, back left, forward Zach Collins and guard Seth Curry in the first half of Game 7 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Sunday, May 12, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo\/John Leyba)\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"16\">\n<p><strong>Denver Nuggets guard Monte Morris, front, drives to the rim past Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum, back left, forward Zach Collins and guard Seth Curry in the first half of Game 7 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Sunday, May 12, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo\/John Leyba)<\/strong><br \/>AP | AP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/sports\/cj-mccollum-leads-blazers-past-nuggets-100-96-in-game-7\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/sports\/cj-mccollum-leads-blazers-past-nuggets-100-96-in-game-7\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">DENVER \u2014 Damian Lillard\u2019s shots kept banging off the backboard, rattling off the rim, going everywhere but through the hoop.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The Portland Trail Blazers are going to the Western Conference Finals anyway because CJ McCollum had his back.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">McCollum scored 37 points and added a crucial chase-down block in the closing minutes that helped the Blazers beat the Denver Nuggets 100-96 in Game 7 on Sunday to advance to their first conference championship since 2000.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">They\u2019ll open Tuesday night at Golden State against the two-time defending NBA champion Warriors in a series pitting Portland\u2019s Seth Curry against his big brother, Golden State star Steph Curry.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Lillard scored 13 points and made just 3 of 17 shots from the field, but two of them were critical 3-pointers in the fourth quarter that put Portland ahead 81-76 and 92-85.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt\u2019s a luxury to have two guys like that who can find different ways to score in different ways,\u201d Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. \u201cCJ does it one way, Dame does it in another. On a night when Dame struggled shooting the ball CJ came up big.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cCJ McCollum showed why they have one of the best backcourts in the NBA,\u201d Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. \u201cHe put his team on his back and made big play after big play.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">None bigger than when his crucial chase-down block with 4:44 left and the Trail Blazers leading 87-83.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">McCollum raced to stop a breakaway layup by Jamal Murray, who had a miserable night shooting, missing 14 of 18 shots.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cSeth did a good job of cutting off his lane and making him have to go over his head,\u201d McCollum said. \u201cHe put it right there for me and I went and got it \u2018Bron style. Shout out to my guy \u2018Bron. It was a mini-version of \u2018Bron\u2019s block on Iggy some years ago. Definitely didn\u2019t get up as high but it was a cool play. I might get a picture of that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Lillard said it was just the spark the Blazers needed to complete the comeback from a 17-point first-half hole.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThose are the plays that get teams going, coming off a turnover and they get an easy one,\u201d he said. \u201cAt that point of the game you want to make them work for everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The Nuggets were down 96-95 coming out of a timeout when McCollum hit a pull-up jumper over Torrey Craig with 12.4 seconds left.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cAll summer long I\u2019m going to probably be second-guessing myself at the timeout,\u201d Malone said. \u201cThat\u2019s a shot he makes consistently. Torrey played good defense, as good a defense you can play 1-on-1. And I was saying after we should have sent someone at him. He\u2019s having a great game and make somebody else make a play or make a shot.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The mismanagement continued: Jokic was fouled inside shooting a 2-pointer with 11.4 seconds left and missed the first free throw. Instead of missing the second on purpose, he made it for a 98-96 deficit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Eric Turner then hit two free throws with eight seconds left for the final margin, and Jokic missed a long 3-pointer, with five seconds remaining, Turner grabbed the rebounds and dribbled out the clock.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The Nuggets raced to a 39-22 lead and Game 7 was beginning to look a lot like Game 5, when Denver blew out Portland by 26 points in this building. But Stotts called a timeout with 7:26 left in the second quarter and his team began chipping away.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThere wasn\u2019t going to be any quit,\u201d Stotts said. \u201cI didn\u2019t think they ever stopped believing. \u2026 It was just about regrouping.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The Blazers were down 48-39 at halftime and trailed by just a point heading into the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">That\u2019s when the Nuggets\u2019 hopes of reaching their first Western Conference Finals in a decade died with a 7-of-24 shooting performance, including 3 of 10 from Jokic, who tearfully blamed himself in the locker room for the loss.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Nonsense, said his coach, who suggested Jokic established himself during these playoffs as the best big man in basketball and he only petered out at the end because the Nuggets had to rely so heavily on the 7-foot All-Star.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cI hope after 14 playoff games, America, everyone around the world, came to appreciate his game,\u201d Malone said. \u201cFor him to be as emotional and upset as he was speaks to his caring. He was upset because he thinks he didn\u2019t do enough for us to win tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">It was a devastating end to Denver\u2019s season after the Nuggets ended a six-year playoff drought and earned the second seed in the Western Conference bracket.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Subhead\">TIP-INS:<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Portland: Rodney Hood hyperextended his left knee in the third quarter. \u2026 Evan Turner, who scored just four points in the first six games of the series, added 14 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Denver: The Nuggets were 2 of 19 from beyond the arc and missed 11 free throws. Portland was 4 of 26 on 3-pointers and 20 of 24 from the stripe.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Follow Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/arniestapleton\" rel=\"nofollow\">http:\/\/twitter.com\/arniestapleton<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">More AP NBA: <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/tag\/NBA\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/apnews.com\/tag\/NBA<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AP%E2%80%94Sports\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/AP\u2014Sports<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/sports\/cj-mccollum-leads-blazers-past-nuggets-100-96-in-game-7\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: Post Independent<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum, right, drives past Denver Nuggets forward Mason Plumlee in the first half of Game 7 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Sunday, May 12, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo\/John Leyba)AP | AP Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, right, works the ball inside to the rim as Portland Trail [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[160],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1310210","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-17 07:15:40","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSKE Ski Country","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1310210","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1310210"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1310210\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1310210"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1310210"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1310210"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}