NBA: C.J. McCollum sparks Trail Blazers to 100-94 win over Grizzlies, Lakers beat Suns

Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum (right) handles the ball against Memphis Grizzlies forward James Ennis during the first half at FedExForum on Nov 6, 2016. PHOTO: USA TODAY SPORTS

(REUTERS) - Portland shooting guard C.J. McCollum tied his career high with 37 points to lead the Trail Blazers to a 100-94 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in the National Basketball Association on Sunday.

The score was tied 86-86 when forward Maurice Harkless (18 points, seven rebounds) hit a three-pointer with 7min 16sec left in the fourth quarter that kicked off a 9-0 Portland run. Memphis quickly cut the lead to 95-92 with a 6-0 run of their own.

However, McCollum was too much. He answered with his third straight three-pointer to hike the lead to 98-92 and the Grizzlies never made it a one-possession game again. McCollum scored 16 of his points in the fourth quarter.

Damian Lillard finished with 19 points, seven assists and six rebounds for the Trail Blazers. Marc Gasol led the Grizzlies with 21 points.

In other NBA games:

Jazz 114 Knicks 109

In his first game of the season after missing the previous six with a fractured finger on his left hand, Gordon Hayward scored a team-high 28 points as Utah beat New York.

Rodney Hood scored 12 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, including two three-pointers, as the Jazz outscored the Knicks 36-29 in the final period. George Hill added 23 points and nine assists for Utah.

Carmelo Anthony finished with for 28 points and nine rebounds, and Kristaps Porzingis added 28 points and eight boards for the Knicks.

Kings 96 Raptors 91

Rudy Gay scored 23 points, including two free throws with 1:54 left in the game, and Sacramento ended a four-game losing streak with a win over Toronto.

DeMarcus Cousins added 22 points and 14 rebounds for the Kings, who won the final game of their five-game road trip and ended Toronto's three-game winning streak. Kosta Koufos added 13 points and Arron Afflalo had 12.

Toronto's DeMar DeRozan had 23 points to end his streak of scoring 30 or more at five games. He was the first player to open a season with five-plus 30-point games since Michael Jordan did so in the Chicago Bulls' first six games in 1986.

Mavericks 86 Bucks 75 (OT)

Harrison Barnes and J.J. Barea carried Dallas to their first win over the season, as the Mavericks outlasted Milwaukee in overtime.

Barnes scored a career-high 34 and Barea added 21, including five points in the extra session. The Mavs (1-5) snapped the longest losing streak to open a season in franchise history. Barnes knocked down 13 of 26 shots and grabbed eight rebounds in 48 minutes. Barea had six boards and five assists in 46 minutes.

Milwaukee had their three-game winning streak snapped while playing on the second half of a back-to-back. Jabari Parker led the Bucks with 16 points. Greg Monroe had a double-double (14 points and 12 boards) off the bench.

Nuggets 123 Celtics 107

Emmanuel Mudiay erupted for 24 of his career-high-matching 30 points in the first quarter, and Wilson Chandler scored 15 of his 22 in the second, powering Denver to a blowout of Boston.

Mudiay was nine of 10 in the opening quarter, three of six from three-point range. He came into the game 19 of 70 overall for the season, three of 15 from behind the arc. Chandler didn't score in the first but took over for Mudiay in the second as Denver built up a handy lead in the first half.

Isaiah Thomas tried to keep the Celtics competitive, scoring season-high-tying 30 points. He has at least 23 in each of the first six games of the season.

Lakers 119 Suns 108

Los Angeles survived a second-half scare and held on to beat Phoenix at Staples Center.

The win raised the Lakers' record to 4-3 (including 3-0 at home). It is the first time they have had a winning record after seven games since they also started 4-3 in 2011-12. The Suns, meanwhile, fell to 2-5.

Before the game, Lakers coach Luke Walton said he expected his team to feel an "emotional hangover" after a big win over the Golden State Warriors Friday night and come out flat against the Suns.

The first-year coach was wrong.

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