Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum suspended for season opener at Suns
Oct 14, 2017, 2:17 PM | Updated: Oct 15, 2017, 10:58 am
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
The Portland Trail Blazers will be without one of their premier players they head to Phoenix to take on the Suns in Wednesday night’s season opener.
Guard CJ McCollum was slapped with a one-game suspension for leaving the bench during an altercation between Portland’s Caleb Swanigan and Phoenix’s Alex Len during a preseason game between the teams Oct. 11.
Here’s the incident that led to the suspension:
CJ McCollum is suspended for the Blazers season opener for leaving the bench during this scuffle. pic.twitter.com/Pdaxvn3uvJ
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 14, 2017
Although McCollum was on the court for a few seconds and didn’t seem to escalate the situation, NBA rules state a player may not leave the bench during an altercation. McCollum’s suspension without pay will take effect Wednesday night at Talking Stick Resort Arena.
McCollum is coming off his best season as a pro. In 80 games, he averaged 23 points per game and hit on 42.1 percent of his three-point shots.
Last season against the Suns, McCollum was able to find a rhythm, scoring more than 20 points in each of the team’s four matchups. The Blazers took the season series 3-1.
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