Nuggets at Trail Blazers
There's a good chance both coaches will opt for light practices on Saturday after the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers battled each other in the longest postseason game since 1953 on Friday. The Nuggets fell just short in the marathon and will try to even the series at two wins apiece when they visit the Trail Blazers for Game 4 on Sunday.
Portland came out on top 140-137 in only the second four-overtime contest in postseason history, finally clinching the win when CJ McCollum picked off a full-court heave intended for Nikola Jokic at the 3-point line to end the game. "It was almost like, when is this game going to end?" Denver coach Michael Malone told reporters. "It just kept on going and going and going. If I was at home watching this game tonight, I would've been glued to my TV. This was a great basketball game. Wasn't pretty at all times but the effort, the competitive spirit from both groups was outstanding." Rodney Hood provided the fresh legs for the Trail Blazers at the end and scored the team's final seven points off the bench. "I have no idea what happened in the first half or the second half or the first three overtimes," Portland coach Terry Stotts told reporters. "And Rodney Hood came in and played great. It was a helluva game. I've never been involved in a game like that - regular season or playoff. But it was an amazing effort by both teams."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TNT
ABOUT THE NUGGETS: Jokic logged a game-high 65 minutes and finished with 33 points, 18 rebounds and 14 assists for his third triple-double of the postseason. "To be honest in that moment, in that time, you don't even think about how much minutes you are playing," Jokic said. "You're just trying to win a game. After the game of course, I mean I think it's a lot, but I'm not going to go out in the fourth overtime." Jamal Murray added 34 points in 55 minutes for Denver in the loss while Gary Harris (13 points, 50 minutes) and Paul Millsap (17 points, 13 rebounds, 49 minutes) were also pushed to the limit.
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS: Center Enes Kanter is battling a separated shoulder but still managed 18 points and 15 rebounds in 56 minutes while trying to provide some defensive resistance against Jokic. Star point guard Damian Lillard added 28 points in 58 minutes in the win, but it was McCollum draining the big shots in the fourth quarter and in the third overtime to keep the game alive before finishing with 41 points in 60 minutes. "I always enjoy when CJ gets rolling because it's not just the fact he's doing it for our team, it's the way it looks," Lillard told reporters. "Guys like him and (Boston Celtics point guard) Kyrie Irving, they have the game that just look good, just smooth. Crossovers, crafty, tough shots, so to just watch it was great as a teammate and as a friend. Just the time that it came, it was just big shot after big shot after big shot after big shot and for me my job is to allow that. When he's rolling, let him keep rolling."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Nuggets SF Torrey Craig (nasal contusion) played with a mask in Friday's contest and contributed four points in 36 minutes.
2. Portland SF Maurice Harkless contributed 15 points and 10 rebounds in Game 3 after totaling seven points and four boards in the first two games of the series.
3. Denver SG Will Barton scored 22 points in Game 3 after scoring in single digits in each of the last four contests.