Ten years of remembering GDT’s and of course I’d forget one for one of the biggest playoff games in 18 years. Not going to forget this one! Update: Moe Harkless is available to play. Portland's Mo Harkless is available to play Game 3 tonight, league source tells ESPN. — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 4, 2019 Maurice Harkless warming up ahead of Game 3. #ripcity pic.twitter.com/0AGpqUWzbp — NBC Sports Northwest (@NBCSNorthwest) May 4, 2019 Tip-off: 7:30 pm Watch: ESPN (Kevin McHale-less)<doc-sep>It took four overtime periods, but the Portland Trail Blazers take a 2-1 series lead over the Denver Nuggets with a 140-137 win. An additional 20 minutes were needed for a result from Game 3 of the Conference Semifinals series between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Denver Nuggets but eventually, the hosts survived to win a thrilling game and retain home-court advantage. CJ McCollum led the Blazers with 41 points, while Damian Lillard added 28 points and eight assists. For the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic recorded his third triple-double of the playoffs with 33 points, 18 rebounds and 14 assists, logging a game-high 65 minutes. It took a couple of the Blazers' bench guys to seal this victory, with Rodney Hood scoring seven points in the fourth overtime period, while Seth Curry iced the game with a couple of clutch free-throws in the closing seconds. For more on Game 3, here are the takeaways: Clutch CJ With Damian Lillard having a second consecutive rough shooting night from the field, CJ McCollum took over in Game 3, especially in the overtime periods. 🔥 @CJMcCollum scores 18 of his game-high 41 PTS in the four overtimes, lifting the @trailblazers to a 2-1 series lead! #RipCity #NBAPlayoffs Game 4: Sunday (5/5), 7pm/et, TNT pic.twitter.com/TETUdb4T0O - NBA (@NBA) May 4, 2019 McCollum's 41 tied his career-high for points in a playoff game, while his 60 minutes played makes him the first Trail Blazer ever to play that many minutes in a playoff game. He scored 18 of his 41 in the overtime period, which is tied for the most in OT of a playoff game in the last 20 seasons. The Blazers' shooting guard also recorded 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals while going 5-of-6 from the free-throw line and only turning the ball over once. Nikola Jokic's monster triple-double in vain On the road at the Moda Center, Nikola Jokic, playing 65 minutes, had the best game of his first postseason. The Serbian center recorded his third playoff triple-double, a monster one, with 33 points, 18 rebounds, and 14 assists on an efficient 13-of-25 shooting night. First 30-point triple-double in Nuggets postseason history 🔥 pic.twitter.com/lpYBjfuyF6 - NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 4, 2019 He also made four of his seven 3-point attempts while recording a +5 in the +/- category (only Jamal Murray had a better +/- with +6). Playing 65 minutes, the fourth-most in league postseason history, and putting up such huge numbers, Jokic would surely be disappointed that he couldn't ensure that his team came out victorious in this game. Rodney Hood seizes the moment Rodney Hood delivered his most clutch performance when Portland needed it most. Trailing 136-135 with 17.8 seconds remaining, Hood drained the clutch go-ahead three-pointer to snatch the W. After not seeing any minutes in the first three overtime periods, Hood was called on after the Blazers missed six of their first seven shots. With players logging monster minutes, Hood put his fresh legs to good use, providing a seven-point burst in the final two minutes of the game. He finished with a playoff career-high 19 points in 23 minutes off the bench on 6-of-8 shooting. Instant Classic: Second ever 4OT game in NBA playoff history Game 3 was the first four-overtime playoff game in the shot clock era (1954-55) and just the second in NBA history. In 1953, the Boston Celtics beat the Syracuse Nationals 111-105 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.<doc-sep>May 3, 2019 - 7:30 p.m. PT Blazers injuries: Jusuf Nurkic (out), Maurice Harkless (questionable) Nuggets injuries: Michael Porter Jr. (out) How to watch on TV: ESPN How to stream: YouTube Live TV, Playstation Vue, Hulu Live TV, FuboTV Radio: 620 AM SBN Affiliate: Denver Stiffs The Portland Trail Blazers took Game Two from the Denver Nuggets 97-90 on the back of some clutch offense from CJ McCollum. McCollum scored 20 points alongside six rebounds and six assists. Enes Kanter had 14 points, nine rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. Rodney Hood provided a much-needed boost, leading the bench with 15 points. Defense played a key role in the win as the Blazers were able to disrupt Denver’s pick-and-roll offense. The Nuggets struggled against the Blazers from the outset, though they made a valiant effort for a comeback in the fourth quarter after being down 17 points in the third. Nikola Jokic led the way with 16 points and 14 rebounds. Jamal Murray registered 15 points, three rebounds, and two assists, but suffered a thigh injury late in the fourth quarter. Overall, the Nuggets dominated on the offensive glass, with 23 offensive rebounds for the night. Adjustments for Game Three Continued development on defense. The Nuggets aren’t always going to be ice-cold from three, and while the Blazers’ perimeter defense was solid all night, it needs to remain that way for the Blazers to take the next game. This extends to securing boards: Zach Collins needs to box out effectively to prevent the Nuggets from getting offensive rebounds. The Nuggets aren’t always going to be ice-cold from three, and while the Blazers’ perimeter defense was solid all night, it needs to remain that way for the Blazers to take the next game. This extends to securing boards: needs to box out effectively to prevent the Nuggets from getting offensive rebounds. Lillard Time. While everyone else stepped up in Game Two, including the long-lost bench, Damian Lillard has to get hot in Game Three to give the series momentum. Nikola Jokic struggled in Game Two, and the Blazers can’t count on that to continue. If the bench is clicking and Lillard is shooting lights out, Portland can handle Jokic. While everyone else stepped up in Game Two, including the long-lost bench, has to get hot in Game Three to give the series momentum. Nikola Jokic struggled in Game Two, and the Blazers can’t count on that to continue. If the bench is clicking and Lillard is shooting lights out, Portland can handle Jokic. Focus. The Blazers need to do what they did against the Oklahoma City Thunder: only talk to their own teammates. Tempers flared at times during Game Two, including a scuffle between Murray and Kanter that resulted in offsetting technical fouls. Portland needs to double-down on their focus to win. What they’re saying Mike Singer of the Denver Post examines the physical aspects of Game Two, including the altercation late-game altercation: Malone, who played “peacemaker” during the skirmish and didn’t see any malice upon watching the replay, did concede the rest of the series is going to be physical. “Listen, both of these teams are trying to get to the Western Conference finals,” Malone said. “It’s gonna be hard fought, it’s gonna be physical, but there’s nothing dirty about that and I respect that.” Mike Olson of Denver Stiffs explains how consistency is going to play a role in this series for the Nuggets: Should the Nuggets shooting continue to run hot and cold, odds are good they will find themselves on the outside looking in during this playoff run, whether in this round or the next, as every team they could see from here on out are amazingly capable scorers. Denver has also suffered from other inconsistencies throughout the second half of the regular season and playoffs, sometimes flickering more than a Fourth of July bug zapper. No huge shock there, being the eighth-youngest playoff team in history. Consistency comes through repetition, and two-thirds of the Nuggets regulars now have all of nine playoff games under their belts. There are so many things the nascent Nuggets have to balance during moments they are experiencing for the first time in front of a few million people. DJ Siddiqi of CBS Sports reports that not only did a scuffle break out between the Nuggets and Blazers, but the fans in Pepsi Center got rough, too:<doc-sep>
The Portland Trail Blazers retain the home court advantage in this series by winning this quadruple-overtime thriller at home. What a game! A huge late three by Rodney Hodd and clutch free throw by Seth Curry sealed a quadruple-overtime Game 3 for the Blazers at home, giving them a 2-1 edge in the Conference Semifinals series against the Denver Nuggets. Denver Nuggets 136, Portland Trail Blazers 138 [Portland lead 2-1] Final [4OT]: Blazers 138, Nuggets 136 CJ McCollum top-scored with 41 points while four other Blazers also scored in double figures for the spectacular Game 3 home win. On the other hand, Nikola Jokic, playing 65 minutes of the possible 68, finished with a monster triple-double of 33 points, 18 rebounds, and 14 assists. End of 3OT: Blazers 129, Nuggets 129. Still not done. This game will go down in the history books as the second ever 4OT game in NBA playoff history. End of 2OT: Blazers 118, Nuggets 118 Not done yet. Five more minutes required. This time both teams scored nine points with Damian Lillard scoring five of those nine for the Blazers. End of OT1: Blazers 109, Nuggets 109 We need five more minutes to settle this one. What a sequence. What a game. 🍿🍿🍿 pic.twitter.com/NgutqnnFH1 - ESPN (@espn) May 4, 2019 Both teams score seven points apiece in the extra period with CJ McCollum scoring all of those seven for the Blazers. Nikola Jokic recorded his third career postseason triple-double - 30 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 assists. End of fourth quarter: Blazers 102, Nuggets 102 Clutch buckets by both teams in the closing minutes. We got some extra five minutes of free basketball now. Nikola Jokic is one assist shy of a triple-double having already registered 30 points and 14 rebounds. Jamal Murray has 27 as well while CJ McCollum is the only with 20+ points (23) for the Blazers. End of third quarter: Blazers 81, Nuggets 76 The hosts withstood an early third-quarter 9-2 run by the Nuggets to outscore the young squad 33-29 in the period and extend their lead to 5 before the final period. In the quarter, Damian Lillard knocked down from long distance. He has 17 points on 5-of-10 shooting to go along with his 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Three other Blazers have scored in double figures as well. For the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic is close to registering another triple-double in these playoffs with 23 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists so far. Halftime: Blazers 48, Nuggets 47 Jamal Murray catches fire in the second quarter and is only Nuggets' player in double figures - 16 points. Nikola Jokic is on an early triple-double watch with six points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Jamal Murray leads all scorers at the half of Game 3 with 16 PTS! #MileHighBasketball #NBAPlayoffs 📺: @ESPNNBA pic.twitter.com/XhRrcbBdp1 - NBA (@NBA) May 4, 2019 The visitors outscored the Blazers 30 to 25 in the second period but still trail by one heading at halftime. For the Blazers, Lillard is the only player in double figures with 10 points. Both teams are struggling to shoot from the field and from beyond the arc. Nuggets are 39.6% from the field and have 5 3-pointers in 16 attempts (31.3%) while the Blazers are shooting 37.2% including a 3-of-13 (23.1%) effort from beyond the arc. End of first quarter: Blazers 23, Nuggets 17 The Blazers end the first quarter on a 7-0 run to hold a 6-0 point lead at the first period. Damian Lillard leads the way for the hosts with 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists on 3-of-6 shooting. Nikola Jokic has been the biggest contributor for the Nuggets - 4 points and 2 assists. Pregame With Maurice Harkless good to go, the Blazers field an unchanged starting line-up: Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Maurice Harkless, Al-Farouq Aminu and Enes Kanter. Meanwhile, the Nuggets have an unchanged starting line-up as well - Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Paul Millsap, and Torrey Craig.