On the road, without their star player, and down 16 late in the third quarter, the storyline seemed written for the Portland Trail Blazers to live to fight for another day. But thanks to an uncharacteristically-ferocious defensive effort down the stretch and big contributions from CJ McCollum and the supporting cast, Portland clawed back for an exhilarating 107-106 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
With 4:56 left in the third, ESPN gave the Spurs a 93.3 percent chance of winning. But try not to say that too loudly in front of a group led by McCollum, a player known for helping lead seemingly-insurmountable charges.