Portland Trail Blazers: 3 takeaways from big Game 4 win vs. Thunder
1. CJ McCollum is taking his game to a new level
Damian Lillard tends to get most of the publicity in the Pacific Northwest as the All-NBA point guard. However, a key part to Portland’s success has also always been the play of 2-guard CJ McCollum. He has consistently (to an almost-eerie degree) followed up Lillard in scoring on most nights, while occasionally taking the lead himself.
Blazers' CJ McCollum: "We got swept last year. It was on TV every day. They talked about me getting traded, how we can't win together. I was able to fly to Europe to see my brother play because the season ended so early. I told him this year, I ain't going to be able to make it." pic.twitter.com/5Vo0a0TgVd
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) April 22, 2019
That was the case on Sunday night, as McCollum paced his side with 27 points. Through four postseason games, He is now averaging 26.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists while shooting 51.6 percent from 3-point range. Those are all playoff career highs.
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McCollum indicated postgame that last year’s sweep certainly motivates him to step up during these playoffs. The early time off allowed him to watch his older brother, Errick, play live overseas. If he and the rest of the Blazers continue to play with composure at a high level like they did in Game 3, his schedule will certainly remain full for at least the next few weeks.