Lillard and Melo turned the game around in the final quarter for the Blazers who beat 112–111 Raptors at home
CJ McCollum, who is the third top scorer in the league averaging 28 points per game plus leads the league in 3-point shots made (4.9 per game), scored 30 points including a pull-up jumper with 9.6 seconds left in the clock and the Portland Trail Blazers handed Raptors another one-point game loss 111–112 on Monday night.
Raptors, in their trip in the west coast, lost 105–106 against the Warriors the other day and despite their great overall performances in the last two games, they still lost and went downhill with a record 2–8. This record doesn’t really show how good this team. They were in full control in the first half heading to the locker with a 5-point lead. In the second half, as it was expected, the Blazers struggled a lot allowing Raptors to build a 14-point lead (96–82) but with Lillard and Melo being clutch from deep, they managed to take their third consecutive win.
Lillard had 23 points, seven rebounds and five assists, shooting 50% from deep. Carmelo Anthony added 20 points and Enes Kanter notched up 14 points both coming off the bench.
Anthony scored 13 of his total 20 points in the fourth quarter and enjoyed every single shot that he made — especially the three-point shot that he made in front of Raptors bench and turned to them and screamed.
“Yeah, it’s fun,” Anthony said. “You’re going to hear it even more with no fans. You live for those moments. You want that pressure on you. (There’s) nothing like making shots in front of the opposing team’s bench as they are yelling at you.”
The last play was critical with Robert Covington guarding Pascal Siakam and not allowing him to tip it in. McCollum said something to him before the play that urged him to be more physical:
“I told (Covington) that Siakam felt like he had a matchup against him tonight and I think he took it personally,” McCollum said.
Siakam led Raptors with 22 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists (his first triple-double in his career), Chris Boucher added 20 points and eight rebounds coming off the bench in another very impressive for the forward who put on a show in his birthday.