It had to end sometime.

In a game that lasted nearly three and a half hours and is just the second four-overtime playoff game in NBA history, Rodney Hood became an instant hero in Portland.

Hood, acquired by the Trail Blazers in February, knocked down a three-pointer with 17.6 seconds remaining for the go-ahead basket and Portland outlasted Denver 140-137 at Moda Center.

The Blazers are halfway to the Western Conference finals after taking a 2-1 series lead over the Nuggets.

Game 4 is 4 p.m. Sunday at Moda Center.

C.J. McCollum scored 41 points, including 18 during the four overtimes, to lead Portland. Five Blazers scored in double figures, including Damian Lillard with 28 and Hood with 19.

After Hood gave Portland the lead, Denver had a chance to tie, but Nikola Jokic missed the first of two free throws with 5.6 seconds remaining. After two free throws by Seth Curry, the Blazers forced a turnover to clinch the win.

MORE LIKE RODNEY GOOD AMIRITE pic.twitter.com/aiHITWiTXH — Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) May 4, 2019

Jamal Murray hit four 3-pointers and scored 34 pooints to lead the Nuggets. Jokic had 33 points, 27 after halftime.

Both offenses started slowly, but Portland got it going late in the first quarter, scoring the final seven points to take a 23-17 lead.

Portland led 48-47 at halftime after a second quarter where both teams had their moments. The Blazers got first jump, taking a lead as large as 10 points before Denver made a move. The Nuggets, who missed 10 of their first 11 shots from three, made four consecutive shots from behind the arc to grab a 41-39 lead. But Portland quickly countered with a three from McCollum, and the Blazers never trailed for the remainder of the first half.

The offenses began to catch fire shortly after halftime, as Portland had its highest scoring quarter of the series in taking an 81-76 lead after three. A 17-6 spurt early in the quarter gave the Blazers momentum to build a 10-point lead. But the Nuggets responded behind Jokic, who hit three 3-pointers and scored 17 points during the third quarter.

Denver continued to chip away early in the fourth quarter, finally drawing even at 93 on a Murray strip and score with 5:14 remaining. The Nuggets eventually led by five, but Portland rallied to tie it at 102 and force overtime.

The first overtime ended at 109, after McCollum hit a short floater with 8.7 seconds left to tie the game. It was 118-118 after two overtimes, and 129-129 after three.

--Nick Daschel | ndaschel@oregonian.com | @nickdaschel

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