C.J. McCollum matched his career playoff high with 41 points and Rodney Hood hit a go-ahead three-pointer with 18.6 seconds left in NBA post-season record-tying fourth overtime as the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night beat the Denver Nuggets 140-137 to take a 2-1 series lead in the NBA Western Conference semi-finals.
It was the second quadruple-overtime playoff game in NBA history, joining a 1953 game between the Boston Celtics and the Syracuse Nationals.
McCollum scored 28 points after the third quarter and Damian Lillard added 28 in the game for Portland, who stretched their winning streak at home to 12 games dating back to the regular season.
Photo: AP
Hood came off the bench to score seven points in the final overtime period and help the Blazers remain unbeaten at home this post-season.
Nikola Jokic recorded his third triple-double of the playoffs with 33 points, 18 rebounds and 14 assists, but missed a crucial free throw with 5.6 seconds to go. The 2.1m-tall center played 65 minutes, two shy of the post-season record.
BUCKS 123, CELTICS 116
In Boston, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 32 points and 13 rebounds, while George Hill finished with 21 points as Milwaukee beat Boston to take a 2-1 lead in the NBA Eastern Conference semi-final series.
Khris Middleton added 20 points.
Antetokounmpo had only 13 field-goal attempts, but had 16 points from the free-throw line.
Including Milwaukee’s two regular-season games in Boston, he has scored 30 or more points in each of his trips to TD Garden in the 2018-2019 season.
Kyrie Irving scored 29 points and Jayson Tatum had 20 for the Celtics, who host Game 4 tomorrow.
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