Blazers' CJ McCollum: 'It's a Shame We Wasted' Damian Lillard's Epic 55-point Game
Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum lamented that the Blazers were unable to capitalize on a historic performance by Damian Lillard in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday.
According to ESPN's Royce Young, McCollum said: "The degree of difficulty on which he hit some of those shots is god-like. To be able to create space and shoot from so far out contested time after time. It's a shame we wasted one of the all-time performances by not being more supportive for him."
Lillard lit up the scoreboard for 55 points, but Portland still fell 147-140 in double overtime and is now down 3-2 in the series.
Over 52 minutes, Lillard went 17-of-24 from the field and 12-of-17 from three for 55 points to go along with 10 assists, six rebounds and three blocks.
The 12 made three-pointers were a playoff record, breaking the previous mark of 11 set by Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson in 2016.
While Lillard was on fire, he didn't get a ton of help from his teammates, as no one scored more than 19 points.
McCollum finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, but he struggled from the field, going 7-of-22 overall and 2-of-8 from three.
Also, McCollum was one of three Blazers starters who fouled out along with Jusuf Nurkic and Robert Covington.
Meanwhile, the Nuggets' production was more spread out.
Center Nikola Jokic led Denver with 38 points, and Monte Morris (28) and Michael Porter Jr. (26) contributed heavily as well.
As McCollum pointed out, the Blazers wasted an incredible showing from Lillard, and they must now win two games in a row to avoid getting knocked out in the first round for the fourth time in the past five seasons.
Portland could use another big outing from Lillard in Game 6 on Thursday, but it is perhaps equally important for McCollum, Covington, Nurkic, Norman Powell, Carmelo Anthony and others to provide offense as well.
