The peak of that stretch came in a 128-126 thriller over the Houston Rockets, in which McCollum poured in 44 points, eight assists and nine 3-pointers, and Lillard provided reinforcement with 32 points, five rebounds and nine assists, the last of which proved to be the most important. The New Orleans Pelicans are in California to face off with the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday evening, and for the game they could be without their star shooting guard. Dynamic duos dont survive nearly a full decade together without learning how to reach peak performance simultaneously. Channeling his inner Mike Tyson, McCollum delivered one of his more entertaining moments, sharing a fun moment with Lillard and Lisa Salters. Ingram's personal update explained how it would be hard to tell exactly when he'd be ready. [43] On the 25th of that month, McCollum had 26 points and scored 7 straight in the final quarter, as he helped Portland stage a 100 scoring run to overcome a 17-point deficit and defeat the Washington Wizards, 108105. He signed his rookie scale contract with the franchise on July 11,[13] and he proceeded to play for them in the NBA Summer League, averaging 21 points and 4 rebounds per game. Bleacher Report Floats Bridges, ONeale Trade to the Trail Blazers. There will be no Jamal Murray jokes today. Just staying consistent in playing super hard all the time, forward Herb Jones told The Athletic. (Top photo of CJ McCollum dribbling against Damian Lillard: Soobum Im / USA Today). [76], On May 30, 2022, McCollum signed a multiplatform deal with ESPN to be an NBA analyst. Theres no easy pick which game led to the fastest heartbeat; each was packed with pressure and high-stakes implications. [84] He has his own label, McCollum Heritage 91, named after the street he grew up on and his birth year. CJ McCollum has started the 2021 season on a high. We, Yahoo, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. [7], Over his four collegiate years, McCollum added 30 pounds of muscle to fill out his frame. But me knowing him the way I know him and having to compete against him, I wanted to make sure I got out front and set the tone early.. [66] On January 17, 2022, he made his return from the injury, logging 16 points in a 9888 win over the Orlando Magic. Things got even more difficult as Lillard repeatedly roasted Willy Hernangomez, forcing the replacement Pelicans center to move his feet out in space. Game One of the 2021 series against Denver, in which the two combined for 55. 7 in minutes played (15,030). [15] He was recalled by the Blazers on January 5 and made his NBA debut three days later, during which he notched 4 points as Portland beat the Orlando Magic, 11094. If I never make an All-Star Game man, I wont be sad about it because I know Im nice, and I know a lot of people respect my game, McCollum said. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. He is a willing listener. Its difficult to argue that Damian Lillard isnt, at the current moment, playing some of the best basketball of his career. [82] McCollum also helps foster local youths' interest in journalists through an initiative called CJ's Press Pass; it grants aspiring journalists access to postgame news conferences and provides them the opportunity to attend events with McCollum, to receive personalized mentorship from members of the media, and to have their work published. Lillard finished with 29 points and six assists, McCollum with 33 points, eight rebounds and five assists. And, as the old saying goes, the best ability is availability. Dr. A's weekly risers and fallers: Jeremy Sochan, Christian Wood make the list, NBA Power Rankings: Kevin Durant's return could rock the West, What NBA Finals runs from LeBron, Giannis can teach Jayson Tatum, They said it! Then Ill enjoy a nice vacation with my wife. I think that was the desperation we need to play with moving forward. McCollum began last season playing the best basketball of his life for the Portland Trail Blazers. It has been almost one year since the Pelicans traded for McCollum and Larry Nance Jr. [34] On December 10, he set a new career-high of 7 three-pointers made and finished with 34 points scored in a 118111 loss to the Indiana Pacers. McCollum: Why I'm returning to Lehigh for my senior year", "McCollum breaks record in 9177 win at Sacred Heart", "Hulls Named Finalist for Senior CLASS Award", "Lehigh alum C.J. "It's cool to compete against your peers and your friends and people that you respect and you worked with. Having convened for an annual photoshoot, the rookie class of 2013 took an NBA.com survey, according to which McCollum was voted the 201314 Rookie of the Year (together with Victor Oladipo). He is a New Orleans native. [79] McCollum's older brother, Errick, is also a professional basketball player. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. "At first, it was weird," Lillard said following the game.. "It felt like practice a little bit, a couple of the matchups." NBA NEWS: Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers, CJ McCollum & New Orleans Pelicans Updates The Pelicans made a visit to the great northwest last season after the trade deadline, but Lillard was sidelined following surgery on his abdominal. 5 in games played (436) and No. Dubs' Curry (leg) could return as soon as Sun. The only other player to pull off this feat in Pelicans franchise history is Anthony Davis, who did it five times. When the NBA on TNT crew asked the Trail Blazers star about his mentality and supporting his teammates despite not getting an All-Star nod, McCollum said he doesnt need others to validate his body of work. Vote here: https://n. I understand the work he puts in and he understands the work I put in, and we continue to empower each other., CJ McCollum says he doesnt care if he never makes an All-Star Game, heres why, McCollum looked like a bonafide All-Star before suffering a left mid-foot fracture that sidelined him for nearly two months. Christian James McCollum (born September 19, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It's also available for football, hockey and baseball. The former Portland Trail Blazers star was also an AP All-American in college and the 2016 NBA Most Improved Player. CJ McCollum attended Glen Oak in Canton, Ohio and Lehigh. Jonas Valanciunas also missed Wednesdays game with a left calf contusion, and McCollum is playing through a thumb injury. It . . He has nine years of those experiences working alongside Damian Lillard. Damian Lillard and Devin Booker are totally understandable choices. Hes done just that over his last 10 outings, averaging 29.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.5 assists on 51 percent shooting from the field, 39 percent from 3 and 88 percent from the free-throw line, Just playing free. Towards the climax of that stretch, Lillard, in the middle of the 51-point game against Utah (of course), stepped to the free throw line, awaiting the ball before a familiar chant orchestrated by McCollum and Carmelo Anthony broke out: The entire arena gives Dame MVP chants after his 51-point game pic.twitter.com/kUZ4Fpv692. [3] Even though he was already considered virtually destined to be a top NBA draft pick by his third year, he decided to finish his final year of college instead of leaving sooner for the NBA. McCollum is shooting a healthy 40.1% on catch-and-shoot 3s this season. You could argue I should have made it in previous years. Afterward, Alvarado said New Orleans stars not having inflated egos is part of why the team has a strong locker room. While they are out, the Pelicans rely heavily on McCollums ability to create something out of nothing. It remains the biggest shot of his career. The two used to guard each other during Portland practice sessions when they wanted to light a fire under their teammates, and McCollums effort had the same effect on his new club. By this point, the Blazers, once 30-8 and No. Try a week on us. The Last Hurrah OT Duel vs. Hardens Rockets Dec. 26, 2020. He also missed the Blazers' Nov. 10 trip to New Orleans because of injury management, meaning it took a while for the two longtime teammates to play as opponents. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. [56] In Game 3 of the Trail Blazers' second-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, McCollum matched his career playoff high with 41 points during a 140137 win in quadruple-overtime. A small-market team and a mid-major star: There's no more perfect union in the NBA. You can change your choices at any time by clicking on the 'Privacy dashboard' links on our sites and apps. What often goes forgotten in that game is that Portland, to borrow another boxing term, were very much so against the ropes, trailing 101-93 with nine minutes to play. CJ is big on that, backup point guard Jose Alvarado said. Williamson is now on the shelf for at least three weeks and Ingram's timetable to return is unknown. After starting the game 5/8 from the three-point line, the Pelicans finished just 5/21. Sources: 2021 NBA All-Star reserves:West: Chris Paul, Paul George, Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, Zion Williamson, Anthony DavisEast: James Harden, Julius Randle, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Zach LaVine, Ben Simmons, Nikola Vucevic. 20 of ESPNs analysts made picks for this series, 19 of them siding with Oklahoma City. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? For the season, he would average 20.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.3 assists a night across 80 games. It's an undeserving slight given McCollum's career and current season. Learn more and register. Lillard, ultimately named the Most Valuable Player of the NBA Restart in the Orlando bubble, wasnt lacking in motivation. He has still played in 38 of a possible 43 games. The teams record since then, including play-in tournament and playoff games, is 44-35. CJ McCollum however, 12-veteran and NBPA President, has never made an NBA All-Star Game and is again getting looked over by the fan voters. McCollum evolved with the Pull-Up podcast and as a wine connoisseur, to name a few of his interests. A key component that made the Lillard-McCollum pairing so alluring came in just how available they made themselves in off-court settings. The year after the Blazers drafted Lillard No. McCollum is still finding his rhythm since returning to the Trail Blazers lineup. McCollum looked like a bonafide All-Star before suffering a left mid-foot fracture that sidelined him for nearly two months. Lillard's teammates, Carmelo Anthony and CJ McCollum, did not make the All-star reserve list, despite being in the top-10 in fan voting just last week. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:50AM. While Lillard ended up scoring 41 points, he was less effective as the game progressed. But he doesnt need anyones validation, acknowledgement or praise to fuel his passion for basketball. He was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the tenth overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft. He has been a marquee name for over a decade and since becoming a starter in 2015 McCollum has averaged over 22 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists on 40% shooting behind the arc. Of those most high-profile, Game Four against the Grizzlies proved to be the most enticing. For better or worse, there havent been many duos quite like them. [45] During a game on January 31, as Portland defeated the Bulls, 124108, McCollum scored a franchise-record 28 points in the first quarter alone, and he finished with a career-high 50 points in only three periods before heading to the bench for the fourth. Despite. [25] On April 5, he posted his eighth 30-point game of the season, during a 115107 win over Sacramento. The Center aims to provide a safe and inspiring space for underserved youth to learn, explore, create, and grow. I want him to be the best version of himself, McCollum said of his backcourt mate. A glimpse into the future Game 4, 2015 West First Round vs. MEM. The organization is doing a good job of picking its characters up.. Throwing different looks, scrambling (and) multiple efforts.. If not, I am treated very well on the 1st and the 15th. Given the mounting pressure, Manfred believed the least political solution was to . Fighting merely to avoid being swept at the Moda Center, the Blazers brought pride and energy, largely through their talented guard grouping. McCollum played high school basketball for the Golden Eagles at GlenOak High School in his native city of Canton, Ohio. That lineup looked so active and disruptive together that Green almost has no choice but to consider using it more, especially if Valanciunas continues to sit with his calf issue. Decade-long rulers of the Western Conference, the Warriors and more specifically, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson became the litmus test the Lillard-McCollum pairing would be based judged against. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Both Anthony and McCollum deserved to be reserved in the All-Star game this year if we look at the output both of them have put out. As a senior, he was named a McDonald's All-American, averaging 24.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.7 steals per game. My job is to take advantage of them.. 1 all-time for players never making an appearance in the star-studded exhibition game. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. New Orleans 10-year veteran guard CJ McCollum was sidelined during Mondays win at Oklahoma City due to a right ankle sprain, and is listed as questionable to play Wednesday against the Los Angeles Lakers. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. Indeed, New Orleans later switched to defensive stoppers Herbert Jones, Dyson Daniels and Josh Richardson against Lillard, denying him the basketball in an effort to force other Portland players to beat them. Note, this is done in an automated way, so we apologize for any errors, & please. The 3.9 pull-up jumpers hes making per contest are the 10th-most in the NBA. As the prime of his career reaches its zenith, its likely that CJ McCollum will go down as one of leagues greatest players to never earn an NBA All-Star nomination. Per ESPN Stats & Information research, that pushed him past Michael Jordan in 1997-98 (12) for the most ever in a single season by a player age 32 or older. That means sometimes I might have it going, but hes the closer. On the box score, Game Threes 140-137 win would likely suffice. [62] McCollum matched his season-high on March 2, scoring 41 points in a 130107 win over the Orlando Magic. [30] McCollum would start in all 80 games that he played and would average 23 points as well as 3.6 rebounds and as many assists. [83], McCollum is a wine enthusiast. The ball was in his hands down the stretch, I had no problem with it win or lose. 1 in minutes played (15,750) with McCollum at No. NEW ORLEANS CJ McCollum scored a season-high 40 points and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the San Antonio Spurs 126-117 to end their four-game losing streak. NBA.com is part of Warner . After McCollum poured 35 points on the Miami Heat Thursday tohelplead Portland to a 125-122 victory, he earned the walk-off interview for his stellar performance. To begin the night, the Pelicans had McCollum guarding the red-hot Lillard, who entered the game averaging 38.7 points over the previous 20 games. September 19, He hit a franchise-record 11 3-pointers in a Dec. 30 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, and he is now up to 40.3% shooting from distance on 7.4 attempts per game. That, along with a disruptive defender in Jones, led to remarkable results. [22] After injury decommissioned Lillard in late December, McCollum filled in as the primary point guard. A few other Pelicans joked about the effort McCollum put in guarding Lillard full court early in the game. [8], On November 25, 2012, McCollum scored 26 points in a 9177 win over Sacred Heart to pass Rob Feaster as the Patriot League's all-time leading scorer. We look back on their greatest moments together. The peak of the powers game, simultaneously, would likely be Game Six, in which McCollum (30 points, six rebounds) and Lillard (32 points, five assists, six 3-pointers) matched both efficiency and a feel for the moment, the former of which they sometimes struggled with. Staying confident in everything that Im doing. My teammates did a good job of finding me and giving me those opportunities. Although McCollum has only played 13 games and has been sidelined dealing with a foot injury, he was averaging 26.7 points, 5.0 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game for the Trail Blazers. McCollum has averaged 25.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 6.5 assists on 119/257 shooting from the field in the last 13 games (46%). pic.twitter.com/fI7cgRCzYK. With Valanciunas and Nance Jr. both sidelined due to injuries, Pelicans coach Willie Greens frontcourt options were already limited. [72] On December 30, McCollum scored 42 points on 11 three-pointers in a 127116 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. March 4, 2023, 12:40 AM. From 2015-16 to 2020-21, Lillard was No. Final #NBAAllStar Fan Voting Results pic.twitter.com/Ijz1dswNho. During his third year in the league in 201516, he was named the NBA Most Improved Player.[1]. 8. NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network, CJ McCollum questionable for Wednesday road game at Lakers, 5 things to know about the Pelicans on Feb. 14, 2023. For nearly a full decade, Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum shared the backcourt for the Portland Trail Blazers, staking their claim as one of the NBAs most potent 1-2 punches. Ja Morant and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are up-and-coming stars with loyal fanbases voting daily. C.J. CJ McCollum was born on September 19, 1991, making him 28 years old as of 2019. I Broke My Back, Spinal! Play-In Game, 2020 vs. MEM.

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