May 12 (UPI) -- Portland guard CJ McCollum scored 37 points and drained a clutch shot late in the game as the Trail Blazers defeated the Denver Nuggets in Game 7 on Sunday.
With under 20 seconds left in the fourth quarter and the Trail Blazers holding a 96-95 lead, McCollum had a 1-on-1 matchup against Nuggets forward Torrey Craig. McCollum drove left and slammed on the brakes, creating enough room for the jumper.
McCollum drained the shot to give Portland a 98-95 advantage with 11.4 seconds remaining. His last-second shot was the difference in the Trail Blazers' 100-96 win over the Nuggets.
McCollum was 17-for-29 from the field and corralled nine rebounds in 45 minutes. Portland advanced to its first conference finals since 2000.
"Honestly, I got enough motivation," McCollum told reporters. "I got it out the mud. I went to Lehigh University, know what I'm saying? No one has ever been drafted from there before. So for me, it's about showing what I can do every night and keeping the door open for the next mid-major [prospect]."
The Trail Blazers play the Golden State Warriors, who beat the Houston Rockets in six games, in the Western Conference finals. The series begins Tuesday night at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif.
