The Portland Trail Blazers made a game of it, but ultimately fell just short on Sunday night—falling 1116-112 to the Denver Nuggets in Game 4 of their Western Conference Semifinals match-up. The series is now tied 2-2. Jamal Murray led all scorers with 34 points, while CJ McCollum led the Blazers with 29 of his own in another terrific individual performance.
Here are a few key takeaways from tonight’s game:
Close but no cigar. Damian Lillard, who struggled for much of the night, led an impressive comeback effort in the fourth quarter—but missed a costly free-throw late that came back to bite the Blazers. Denver’s Will Barton knocked down a pair of crucial three-pointers in the final minutes to stem the tide, and Murray sealed the game at the free-throw line.
Disastrous third quarter. After taking a six-point lead into the second half, the Blazers were outscored 27-14 in the pivotal third quarter. In addition to going ice-cold from the field, they were on the wrong end of several questionable calls, and both Maurice Harkless and Enes Kanter picked up their fourth foul in the period.
Curry catches fire. Seth Curry went off for 14 points in the second quarter, knocking down four big three-pointers in the frame, including a buzzer-beater to end the first half. He scored a combined 12 points in the first three games of the series. His emergence is a welcome sign for the Blazers going forward.
Up Next
The series shifts back to Denver for Game 5 on Tuesday night.