The Portland Trail Blazers came up short against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday evening. Here are three takeaways from their loss.
The Portland Trail Blazers couldn’t keep their home winning streak alive, losing to the Denver Nuggets 116-112 in Game 4 of their conference semifinals matchup. The streak, which dates back to March 9, ends at 12 games. The series is now tied 2-2.
The game kicked off on a positive note, with the Blazers ahead 63-57 at halftime. They then came out of the locker room flat, being outscored 27-14 in the third quarter. Portland was able to right the ship offensively in the fourth quarter, scoring 35 points. However, Denver scored 32 points in the final frame, keeping the Blazers at arm’s length until the final buzzer.
CJ McCollum paced Portland with 29 points and five rebounds. He also shot 4-of-8 from 3-point range. Damian Lillard backed him up with 28 points, seven assists and two steals, but only shot 9-for-22. Al-Farouq Aminu added 19 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Seth Curry dropped 16 points from off the bench, 14 of which came in the second quarter.
Jamal Murray once again led Denver with 34 points, five rebounds and four assists. Nikola Jokic picked up his second straight triple-double with 21 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. Paul Millsap had his third consecutive double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
As expected, this series is a highly competitive affair. Here are a few things to take away as this matchup heads back to the Mile High City.