----- CJ McCollum records the first triple-double of his career with 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists as the Portland Trail Blazers top the Atlanta Hawks 120-111 Saturday night at Moda Center.
No Dame, no problem!
With Damian Lillard missing his first game of the season to give his body some rest, CJ McCollum had his back. McCollum recorded the first triple-double of his career with 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.
“That’s CJ at his best," Maurice Harkless said. "When he’s out there making plays. We all know that he can score. But I think his play-making ability is overlooked sometimes.”
CJ took control of the game early with 12 points, six rebounds, and four assists in the first quarter. He played under control, picked his spots, and did a nice job of play-making for teammates.
“He really set the tone in the first quarter," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. "I think he had like 12, six and four in the first quarter. His leadership with Damian out was really important. He didn’t go out and try and get 50. I thought he played the point, he made the right plays, scored when he needed to score. Probably the most impressive thing was his rebounds more than anything else.”
Seth Curry took Lillard's spot in the lineup and scored a season-high 22 points. Curry scored 11 points in the fourth quarters and connected on three three-point field goals in the final six-minutes to seal the win for the Blazers.
Harkless had his best game of the season scoring 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting while giving the Blazers great energy on defense. Al-Farouq Aminu had a solid game with 17 points, eight rebounds, and four assists on 4-of-5 shooting.
After missing the game tonight, Lillard is expected to play Wednesday against the Utah Jazz.
''There's nothing serious,'' Terry Stotts said. ''He almost didn't play against Phoenix so I think it's just, he needs a day.''
Up Next- The Trail Blazers will get a few days of rest before hosting the Utah Jazz Wednesday night at Moda Center. The game is scheduled to tip off at 7:30 PM.
Chad's Take- CJ played one of the best games of his career recording his first triple-double. CJ the facilitator was impressive.