CJ McCollum’s seven first-half 3-pointers on Tuesday tied his career-high for any half. Stephen Gosling / Getty Images
CJ McCollum still has gas in the tank.
The veteran guard churned out his best half of the young season Tuesday, dropping 27 points on the Atlanta Hawks. The Washington Wizards, who entered the evening with the NBA’s worst record, led by as many as 29 points in the first quarter and were up 22 at the end of the second.
McCollum started hot against the Hawks and stayed that way through halftime, drilling his first five 3-pointers before finally missing one 15 minutes into the game. He made seven of his eight long-range attempts in the first half and shot 10 of 13 from the field. Those seven 3s tied his career-high for any half over his 13-year NBA career.
His season-high came during a Nov. 10, overtime loss to the Detroit Pistons. He scored 42 that night. McCollum’s career high is 50, a mark he’s reached twice (Jan. 3, 2025 with the New Orleans Pelicans, and Jan. 31 2018 with the Portland Trail Blazers).
If the Wizards hold onto their halftime lead, they would not only double their win total for the season; they would also snap a 14-game losing streak and earn their first-ever victory in an NBA Cup game.
Nov 26, 2025
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