Blazers news: C.J. McCollum talks about his confidence in the clutch

C.J. McCollum is as confident as they come as he talks about his mindset in clutch situations with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Through his first five seasons in the league, Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum has developed into one of the premier scorers in the NBA.

One of the key aspects of that skill set has been his ability to knock down shots when the game is on the line late in the fourth quarter. He put that on display on Saturday night as he scored seven straight points during a 10-0 run to end the game to give the Trail Blazers a 108-105 comeback win over the Washington Wizards.

Following the contest, McCollum spoke with an enormous amount of confidence about stepping up big when his team needs it most, according to the Associated Press.

“I have all the confidence in the world,” McCollum said. “And I can live with missing shots, and I can live with people saying that I'm not clutch. Because I know who I am. So it doesn't faze me.”

Beyond that, the 26-year-old has become a reliable source of scoring that has pushed him to be recognized as one of the key pieces to the foundation alongside All-Star point guard Damian Lillard over the last few seasons. It has allowed for Portland to be a constant in the playoff picture behind one of the top backcourts in the league.

With both McCollum and Lillard in their mid-20s, there is an opportunity for the Trail Blazers to potentially become a force in the Western Conference if they add another high-impact player to the mix.