NBA Playoffs: Portland Battle Through Quadruple Overtime To Outlast Denver 140-137 In Game 3 of West. Conference Semis

Game 3 was not a regular playoff game you would have expected as the Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets battled through quadruple overtime before the fate of the game was decided with Rodney Hood knocking down a late three-pointer for Portland to take a historic 140-137 victory over Denver. 

Hood connected a game-changing three-point shot with 17.8 seconds remaining before Seth Curry did the needful by scoring two free throws to wrap the game as the Portland won to improve 2-1 against Denver in Game 3 of the Western Conference semi-finals.

Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic who finished the game with triple-double of 33 points, 14 assists and 18 rebounds could have tied in the scoring in OT4 but missed a free throw with 5.6 seconds left after Portland came off from behind to lead the stats by 138-136 from Hood's fateful three-pointer shot. 

Damian Lillard had propelled Portland to reclaim the lead late in the fourth, coming off from five-point deficit to lead by 102-100 but Will Barton hit late two-point with 28.6 seconds remaining to force the game into the first overtime. 

Late in first OT, Lillard made a steal for a turnover but failed to dunk a two-point Al-Farouq Aminu set CJ McCollum for a two-point shot and tied the scores leading the game into the second overtime and yet proceeded into third overtime after Lillard could not connect a late game-winning three-point shot. 

Eventually, the fate of the game was decided by Hood with a three-point shot and followed by Curry's free throw as CJ McCollum topped the standouts with career-high scoring of 41 points, 4 assists, and 8 rebounds. 

Speaking to reporters, Lillard who finished with 28 points, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds described the game as the "craziest" in his career up to date. 

 "Each overtime it seemed like we come out with a five-point lead, then they go up. Then next overtime it reversed, we just kept flip-flopping. Each team just kept giving the other team life. we were just allowing the game to continue - both teams," he told reporters. 

Jamal Murray the standouts for Denver with 34 points, 5 assists, and 9 rebounds and Paul Millsap scored a double-double of 17 points, 13 rebounds, and an assist.