NBA-National Basketball Association roundup

April 22 (The Sports Xchange) - Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum, who more than tripled his scoring average from the previous season, has been named the NBA's Most Improved Player, the league announced on Friday. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound McCollum joins Kevin Duckworth (1987-88) and Zach Randolph (2003-04) as the only Trail Blazers to earn the award, which is designed to honor an up-and-coming player who has made a dramatic improvement from the previous season or seasons. McCollum received 101 first-place votes and 559 total points from a panel of 130 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. Guard Kemba Walker of the Charlotte Hornets (seven first-place votes, 166 points) and forward Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks (four first-place votes, 99 points) finished second and third, respectively. Reigning MVP Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors received seven first-place votes and was fourth in the voting for the most improved award with 83 points. McCollum averaged a career-high 20.8 points (18th in the NBA) in his third season since being selected by the Trail Blazers with the 10th overall pick of 2013 NBA draft. He raised his scoring average by 14 points from last season's 6.8. McCollum established career highs in field-goal percentage (44.8), 3-point field-goal percentage (41.7, eighth in the NBA), assists (4.3) and rebounds (3.2), helping Portland make the playoffs for the third consecutive year. - - - Golden State Warriors star guard Stephen Curry said he expects to play in Sunday's Game Four of the playoff series against the Houston Rockets. Curry has missed the past two games due to a sprained right ankle and said he would be "very surprised" if he did not play. He is officially listed as questionable. Curry did not find it a good experience watching the Warriors lose Game Three without him. Golden State still leads the series 2-1 and Curry wants to be on the floor in Game Four. "I think I can play through a little bit of discomfort and what-not, especially in a playoff situation," Curry told reporters. "They kind of have the thought if there is any ounce of instability or doubt, to be on the more cautious side. "So any player that loves to play the game and wants to take advantage of these opportunities in the playoffs is going to push to get out there. Obviously, they have my best interest, but it's kind of hard to take that advice and sit out. It's a tough feeling." - - - The NBA said James Harden's game-winning shot in the Houston Rockets' 97-96 win over the Golden State Warriors on Thursday should not have counted. In assessing that play, the league said on Friday that Harden initiated contact with Warriors defender Andre Iguodala before making the fall-away 10-foot shot with 2.7 seconds left, giving the Rockets a one-point lead. Harden should have been called for an offensive foul, the NBA said. That was one of five incorrect calls in the last two minutes of Game Three, as the Rockets reduced the Warriors' series lead to 2-1. - - - (Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)