In the first round of the NBA playoffs, by far the best moment was Damian Lillard's 37 foot game winner to send the Thunder home. Known for his clutch shot making, the nickname "Dame Time" was very much in play. Against the Nuggets in the second round, it was expected that Dame would do much of the heavy-lifting fr Portland, and that sidekick CJ McCollum and other role players would not have as much of a role.
Every Blazer, especially CJ, proved that to be wrong. In every game, there was a role player that stepped up huge amid Lillard's struggle in the series, whether it be Rodney Hood, Enes Kanter, or Zach Collins, who all showed up big when it mattered. Game 7 was a different one. Dame was ice cold from everywhere, and finished with just 10 points.
Enter: CJ McCollum. The shooting guard that is largely considered a sidekick to Dame absolutely went off yesterday. He dropped 37 points and 9 rebounds, and carried Portland for a lot of the game. He was the main reason Portland overcame a 17 point deficit in the second quarter. Denver had no answer for him. Repeatedly, in the clutch, CJ would isolate and make mid-range jumpers over anybody. Despite a great showing from Nikola Jokic offensively, the Nuggets had no help.
Portland will go on to play the Golden State Warriors in their first Western Conference Finals since 2000. They are going to be the heavy underdogs even if Kevin Durant misses some games with a calf strain. For the Nuggets, this season was a sign of good things to come. This was their first year being good, and getting all the way to the second round of the playoffs, certainly exceeded everyone's expectations.
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