LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Portland’s CJ McCollum drained the game-winning three-pointer with 6.9 seconds left in overtime as the Trail Blazers edged James Harden and the short-handed Houston 128-126 in the Rockets’ belated NBA season opener on Saturday.
McCollum scored 44 points, with a career-high nine three-pointers, and Damian Lillard added 32 as the Trail Blazers withstood a 44-point, 17-assist performance by Harden.
Center Christian Wood added 31 points for the Rockets, who had just nine players in uniform — one above the NBA minimum of eight — after two players tested positive for COVID-19 and four more were listed as unavailable due to ”health and safety protocols” after being declared close contacts of those with the virus.
The Rockets’ scheduled season opener against Oklahoma City had been postponed when they could not field eight players.
Harden was among those unavailable on Wednesday after he was deemed to have violated NBA anti-COVID measures that ban players from attending indoor gatherings of more than 15 people.
He was fined $50,000, in the latest installment of the pre-season drama surrounding Harden, who turned up late to training camp amid reports he has demanded to be traded.
The three-time – and reigning – NBA scoring champion played more than 43 minutes. He connected on 12 of 22 shots from the field, including six three-pointers.
Harden’s step-back three-pointer with 15.3 seconds left in overtime put the Rockets up 126-125.
But the Trail Blazers responded, Lillard driving toward the basket then kicking the ball out to McCollum who calmly sank a three-pointer of his own.
In other games, the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Detroit Pistons 128-119 in double overtime; the Oklahoma City Thunder survived the Charlotte Hornets, 109-107; the Washington Wizards fell 130-120 to the Orlando Magic; the Philadephia 76ers routed the New York Knicks,109-89.
