<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=192888919167017&amp;ev=PageView&amp;noscript=1">
Thursday, March 28, 2024
March 28, 2024

Linkedin Pinterest

McCollum guides Blazers past 76ers

Late three-point play clinches win over Philadelphia

By Erik Gundersen, Columbian Trail Blazers Writer
Published: March 26, 2016, 11:03pm

PORTLAND — Down the stretch, the Portland Trail Blazers come. And although they had plenty of stumbles in Saturday’s portion of the home stretch, CJ McCollum safely guided the Blazers past the Philadelphia 76ers, 108-105.

McCollum had a game-high 25 points, including the game-winning 3-point play with 7.6 seconds left to give the Blazers the win, as well as five assists.

The frontrunner for NBA’s Most Improved Player added yet another milestone to his candidacy, helping the Blazers forget a game they were supposed to win with ease.

On the final possession, the Sixers double-teamed Damian Lillard, known for his crunch time play, who swung the ball to McCollum.

McCollum then was double-teamed, too, causing him and his coach to have a nonverbal debate over whether to call a timeout in the snap of a finger.

“I could see his eyes and mine, debating a timeout,” head coach Terry Stotts said.

“I was counting in my head like I was like, ‘I’ve still got a little bit of time,” McCollum said. “I knew I had a timeout if I needed to use it but once they kind of committed, they weren’t sure if they should commit all the way and once their coach said get up, I knew eventually I’d be able to kind of slip the defense.”

McCollum realized he would not be able to hold for the last shot as planned. On a night when nothing when very little went as planned for the home team, he and the Blazers found a way.

“I have no problem swinging it to him,” Lillard said of getting the ball to McCollum in the game’s biggest moments.

Al-Farouq Aminu had his best offensive performance of the season, scoring a season-high 20 points and eight rebounds.

Saturday’s opponent, the now 9-64 Sixers, were the first of four home games in a row, and the easiest game on paper of the Blazers’ final nine games.

In their last meeting, the 76ers blew the doors off a tired Blazers team for one of those nine wins. Portland narrowly avoided becoming the third team this season to lose to the 76ers twice.

mobile phone icon
Take the news everywhere you go.
Download The Columbian app:
Download The Columbian app for Android on Google PlayDownload The Columbian app for iOS on the Apple App Store

Moe Harkless was once again an impact player as a member of the starting lineup, running the floor in transition and even making his first 3-pointer in two weeks. Harkless had another productive outing in the start, scoring 16 points and eight rebounds.

Stotts started Harkless for the third consecutive game and still hasn’t committed to a starting lineup, but it performed well for the third straight game.

The Blazers bench built on the success of their starting lineup and pushed the lead to as high as 14 points.

But that success did not propel the Blazers to a blowout like they probably had hoped.

The Blazers pushed their lead back up to 16 early in the third quarter — led by Lillard, who scored nine off his 16 points in the third quarter.

The Sixers, to their credit, did everything they could to stay close to the Blazers, annoying them like a fly and more or less sticking with them.

Every time the Blazers were on the verge of blowing the game open, the Sixers would gain ground back.

The non-stop fly-swatting carried a cost for the Blazers, too, as Lillard took a knee from Robert Covington into the chest, forcing him from the game.

He was checked on and appeared to be cleared on the bench, but was writhing in pain before then.

And although the Blazers would have rather had Lillard sit, they were unable to have that luxury.

The Sixers went on a 13-0 run from the 6:03 mark of the fourth quarter to the 3:15 mark when Hollis Thompson gave them a 100-97 lead.

McCollum answered quickly with an old-fashioned 3-point play and then moments later he drove and found Lillard for an open 3-pointer to give the Blazers a 103-100 lead, which were his only points of the fourth quarter.

Loading...
Columbian Trail Blazers Writer