>>Blazers Blast Bulls

 

CJ McCollum scored a franchise-record 28 points in the first quarter and finished with a career-high 50 through three periods before heading to the bench, and the Portland Trail Blazers took advantage of the short-handed Chicago Bulls for a 124-108 victory Wednesday night.

 

McCollum's 28 points in the opening quarter were the most in the NBA this season. His final tally was nine points shy of the team record set by Damian Lillard last season.

 

Lillard also sat out the final period after adding 13 points and seven assists for the Blazers, who led by as many as 29. It was Portland's fourth straight win overall, a season high, and the club's eighth in a row at home.

 

Zach LaVine had a season-best 23 points in Chicago's fifth consecutive loss.

 

Lauri Markkanen was not with the Bulls because he was attending to a personal issue, the team said. The rookie is averaging 15.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Paul Zipser started in his place.

 

Kris Dunn, averaging 13.7 points and 6.4 assists, missed his sixth straight game after a concussion.

 

The Bulls decided to sit forward Nikola Mirotic while he reportedly seeks a trade. Coach Fred Hoiberg said before the game that the 6-foot-10 forward remained back at the team hotel. Meanwhile, rumors swirled that the Bulls had a deal with the Pelicans but it fell apart.

 

Portland shot 74 percent in the first quarter paced by McCollum, who made four 3-pointers in the period and finished with six for the game.

 

Pat Connaughton's 3-pointer put the Blazers up 54-28. McCollum punctuated the first half with a dunk, and the Blazers went into the break with a 67-44 lead.

 

McCollum finished the half with 32 points, one shy of Lillard's franchise record.

 

The Bulls lost 110-96 at home to Milwaukee on Sunday.

 

The Bulls play Saturday night at the Los Angeles Clippers before finishing their three-game road trip at Sacramento.

 

>>Pacers Down Grizzlies

 

With 34 seconds left in the game, Myles Turner found himself at the foul line putting an exclamation point on his best game of the season.

 

The third-year big man made both free throws, giving Indiana the lead Wednesday night in a 105-101 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Turner had his fourth double-double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds. He also blocked three shots against a Memphis team that only had nine players available.

 

The win was Indiana's third straight and fifth in six games.

 

Turner has missed 16 games due to injury this season, including nine straight in January.

 

All five Pacers starters ended up scoring in double digits. Bojan Bogdanovic and Darren Collison each had 21 points, Victor Oladipo added 13 and Thaddeus Young had 10.

 

The teams traded the lead nine times in the first half, with Indiana taking a 55-53 lead into halftime. The Pacers opened the second half with a 9-3 run, but Memphis wouldn't go away. Trailing 100-95, the Grizzlies went on a 6-0 spurt to regain the lead with 1:57 to play.

 

After Turner's late free throws gave the Pacers a 102-101 lead, Memphis had multiple opportunities to answer back. Marc Gasol's 11-foot jumper with 15 seconds left was rebounded by Grizzlies teammate Wayne Selden. With less than three seconds remaining, Selden drove the lane and attempted a floater in heavy traffic. More than two Pacers were there when Selden went up for the shot, but it was partially blocked by Cory Joseph and the Pacers grabbed the rebound and sealed the game at the foul line.

 

Gasol finished with 23 points and nine rebounds. Selden led the Grizzlies with 24 points but was ejected with 0.7 seconds remaining after arguing he was fouled on his missed shot.

 

The Pacers visit the Charlotte Hornets on Friday.