Report: Trail Blazers' McCollum playing through fractured back
CJ McCollum is putting his body on the line to try and help will the Portland Trail Blazers to the playoffs.
The star shooting guard has been playing through a non-displaced fracture in his lower back, NBC Sports' Dwight Jaynes reports.
McCollum suffered the injury during Portland's first game of the restart against the Memphis Grizzlies when he took a knee to his back from Jaren Jackson Jr., sources told TNT's Chris Haynes.
Despite struggling for much of Tuesday's thrilling 134-131 win against the Dallas Mavericks, McCollum knocked down a pair of free throws to extend Portland's lead to three points heading to the game's final possession. The 28-year-old finished the game with eight points on 2-of-14 shooting.
The Trail Blazers' latest victory moved them ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies for sole possession of the Western Conference's eighth seed.
Portland can clinch its spot in the West's play-in tournament with a win over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday.