CJ McCollum carried the Portland Trail Blazers on his broken back late in a 126-122 win over the Memphis Grizzlies that nailed them an NBA playoff berth on Saturday, August 15 (Sunday, August 16, Manila time).

McCollum scored 8 of their last 18 points as the twice-to-beat Blazers came back from an eight-point fourth-quarter deficit to dispatch the Grizzlies in the play-in for the last playoff seat in the Western Conference.

The No. 8 Blazers will face the No. 1 Los Angeles Lakers in a best-of-seven series in the first round.

Fractured back and all, McCollum took over as he buried a triple to knot the score at 111 before he gave the Blazers a 119-113 lead off another three-pointer and a gutsy jumper – both over Grizzlies’ star Ja Morant.

“I was thinking, ‘I don’t want to play again tomorrow.’ We had to get this done tonight,” said McCollum

Carmelo Anthony then wrapped up the win by sinking his only three-pointer of the game and two clutch free throws in the final 20 seconds.

A Morant three-pointer with 2.1 ticks left pulled the Grizzlies within 3 points, 122-125, but that only delayed the inevitable with Jusuf Nurkic sealing the deal for the Blazers with a foul shot in the ensuing play.

McCollum finished with 29 points – 14 in the final quarter alone – and 2 steals, while Anthony delivered 21 points as the Blazers reach the playoffs for the seventh straight season.

Newly crowned seeding games MVP Damian Lillard topscored for the Blazers with 31 points and 10 assists, often serving as a facilitator in the last frame after being hounded by the Grizzlies’ defense.

Nurkic also had a stellar performance despite dealing with the death of his grandmother due to the coronavirus as he churned out 22 points, 21 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.

He had told reporters she was battling the deadly virus shortly after the NBA season resumed in Orlando in July, but opted not to leave the bubble.

“People don’t understand how serious this … is,” Nurkic said at the time, and his teammates empathized with his loss and the frustration of being away from family at such a crucial time.

Morant, the top Rookie of the Year contender, capped his first NBA season with a career-high 35 points on top of 8 assists and 4 rebounds.

“I can’t even fathom what he’s going through,” McCollum said. “It’s something you never get over, you just try to get through it. We’re just trying to support him and understanding that this is a very difficult time for him and his family.”

Jonas Valanciunas had 22 points, 17 rebounds, and 6 assists, Dillon Brooks and Brandon Clarked added 20 points each, while Kyle Anderson put up 10 points, 9 assists, and 6 rebounds in the loss.

The NBA playoffs kick off on Monday, August 17 (Tuesday, August 18, Manila time).

After a fourth-straight fight to the finish, Lillard said he had no concern that the Blazers wouldn’t be ready to take on LeBron James and the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs come Tuesday.

“The reason we fought so hard to get in the playoffs is because we feel like we’re capable of doing anything,” he said.

“We can beat anybody, so now we’ve just got to get rested and get ready for the next thing.

“Our work is just beginning.” –With a report from Agence France-Presse