Cleveland star LeBron James tries to get past the defense of Portland. (AP PHOTO).
PORTLAND, Oregon- CJ McCollum had 27 points and the Trail Blazers shook of fatigue caused by weather-related travel delays to beat the defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers, 102-86, on Wednesday (Thursday Philippine time).
Allen Crabbe added 24 points off the bench for the Blazers, who have won four straight regular-season games against the Cavs at the Moda Center. Portland led by as many as 24 points.
LeBron James had 20 points and 11 rebounds for Cleveland, which has lost just 10 games this season.
McCollum, who had 21 points in the second half, hit a 3-pointer that put Portland up 85-69 with just under nine minutes left in the game, then gestured for the crowd to stand as the Cavaliers called a timeout.
McCollum has had seven straight games with 25 points or more.
A snowstorm that dumped as much as 14 inches on parts of Portland caused travel problems for both teams late Tuesday.
The Cavaliers, who fell to the Utah Jazz 100-92 on Tuesday night, were delayed in getting to Portland but finally arrived about 3 a.m. Wednesday.
The Trail Blazers beat the Lakers in Los Angeles 108-87 on Tuesday night. The team’s flight was sent to Seattle, and players spent the night there. They flew into Portland by midday Wednesday and stayed in hotel to rest until game time.
“The show must go on,” McCollum said before the game.
The Cavaliers got a scare with 1:21 left in the first quarter when Kevin Love collided slightly with Al-Farouq Aminu and fell to the ground, clutching his left knee. Love walked off the court under his own power and returned a short time later.
Portland led 27-20 at the end of the first, led by Aminu with eight points. Crabbe’s running 3-pointer stretched the lead to 37-24.
Crabbe hit another 3-pointer and Maurice Harkless dunked to push the lead to 42-26 and the crowd was on its feet. But Love’s 3-pointer closed the gap to 45-39 with just under three minutes to go in the first half.
Portland led 49-41 at the break, with Crabbe’s 18 points leading all scorers.