CJ McCollum turns 30: Looking at the top 5 moments of the Portland Trail Blazers' star guard's NBA career
CJ McCollum is part of the star duo of the Portland Trail Blazers alongside Damian Lillard. Although McCollum isn't an All-Star like his running mate, he has shown potential to be at an extremely high level on multiple occasions.
WIth a nifty style of play featuring some of the cleanest handles and shifty footwork, CJ McCollum has developed into a legitimate offensive threat over the course of his career. Known primarily for his midrange game, McCollum also possesses a reliable shot from behind the three-point line.
Drafted by the Blazers in 2013, McCollum has truly developed his own identity as a player and has produced results for the franchise. As we celebrate his 30th birthday today, we take a look at the top five moments from his NBA career.
#5 Game-winner vs Houston Rockets: 26th December 2020
Coming off their 2020-21 season-opening loss to the Utah Jazz, CJ McCollum and the Portland Trail Blazers were set to play their second game against the Houston Rockets.
The Rockets, led by James Harden, came out firing, scoring 68 points in the first half. However, McCollum and Lillard had other plans. As Portland's duo led the charge in the second half, McCollum scored 44 points on nine made three-point shots paired with eight assists. Lillard contributed with 32 points and nine assists for the game.
As the game went into overtime, the Blazers were down by one point in the closing seconds. With 12 seconds left on the clock, Lillard drove to the basket and kicked it out to CJ McCollum on the left wing for a three-point game winner. The Blazers won 128-126.
#4 CJ McCollum goes off for 50
CJ McCollum and the Portland Trail Blazers faced the Chicago Bulls on the 31st of January, 2018. This was a historic night for CJ McCollum as he recorded a new career-high in scoring and joined an exclusive list of players while doing so.
In this game against the Bulls, McCollum recorded 50 points while shooting 72% from the field and 66.7% from beyond the arc. He was also perfect from the charity stripe.
Relive @CJMcCollum's historic 50-point night against the Bulls! 🔥🔥🔥
#RipCity https://t.co/bBZHxDiFu3
However, what makes this even more impressive is that McCollum recorded 50 points in less than 30 minutes of playing time. Having played a total of 29:16 minutes for the game, McCollum joins elite and rare company.
The only other player to do so in the shot clock era is Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors, who scored 60 points in 29:03 minutes.
CJ McCollum = 50 points (29 minutes, 16 seconds) Only the second player in the NBA’s shot-clock era to score at least 50 points in a game in less than 30 minutes (Klay Thompson, 60 points, 29:03; 12/5/16) @EliasSports https://t.co/uO0OYEL6ef