McCollum shot down any notion that playing Harden while the rumors swirled added any motivation to his game Saturday. “Look, I know I’m nice, man. I don’t need to psyche myself out to go against one of the best players in the world,” McCollum said. “Like, James is really good. Regardless of what James does in his spare time, James is really f—— good at basketball … like, really good. So I don’t need to get extra sleep to go guard a guy that averages 35. You know what I mean?” – via Jason Quick @ The Athletic
Whether the Olshey/Harden connection is strong enough for Olshey to consider breaking up the Blazers’ backcourt buddies, and if so, whether Portland has enough assets to satisfy Houston are questions that nobody is answering. In the meantime, Lillard and McCollum on Saturday did what they have been doing for years: showing how and why two stars can co-exist. “The foundation of us being connected as a backcourt is our friendship,” Lillard said. “Me wanting the best for him and him wanting the best for me, and him supporting me and me supporting him. I just think we have a balance.” – via Jason Quick @ The Athletic
