Washington Wizards guard C.J. McCollum finally gave fans something to cheer about Tuesday night with his record-setting performance in the team’s second win of the season. In Tuesday’s NBA Cup game, McCollum became the first Wizards player to score 45 or more points and make 10+ 3-point shots in a single game. McCollum ended the game with 46 points, 10 threes made, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. 

The Wizards snapped a 14-game losing streak by defeating the Atlanta Hawks, 132-113, in winning their first NBA Cup game of 2025. 

McCollum's first season in Washington has been nothing like what he was used to for the majority of his career. He was shipped to Washington as part of the Jordan Poole trade during the offseason. The former first-round pick spent his first 8½ years playing in Portland for a Trail Blazers team that was always in playoff contention, alongside future Hall of Fame point guard Damian Lillard. In 2019, the duo led the Blazers to the franchise's first Western Conference Finals appearance since 2000. 

Portland made the postseason in all of McCollum's eight full seasons with the team. That was before the NBA implemented the play-in tournament between the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs. He was traded to New Orleans midway through the 2021-22 campaign and spent the next few seasons there, during which the Pelicans made the playoffs twice.

However, the early part of McCollum’s first season in Washington isn’t looking pretty bleak. The Wizards are arguably the worst team in the NBA at 2-15 to start the season. Wizards fans needed that win Tuesday night, and McCollum’s performance served as the cherry on top.

Missing the playoffs isn’t anything new in the nation’s capital. Wizards fans have watched their beloved team miss the playoffs for the last four years, and missing it for a fifth straight would be a strong bet at this point. Despite the disappointing start in Washington, McCollum is doing his part, averaging 18.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. 

The Wizards’ next game is Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET on the road against the Pacers in another NBA Cup matchup.