NBA-Clerical error catches Portland off-guard

Jan 6 (Reuters) - The Portland Trail Blazers committed a clerical error with their roster that prohibited guard C.J. McCollum from playing against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. McCollum, who was perfectly healthy and ready to play, was mistakenly placed on the team's inactive list with Portland's attempts to rectify the error deemed too late. McCollom, the team's second leading scorer, watched from the sidelines as Luis Montero played in his place during the 109-98 defeat. "I signed the paper without noticing it, it's my fault for not looking at it," said Portland coach Terry Stotts. "The rule is (the list is finalised) 60 minutes before tip-off. I thought we caught it in time but it had already been turned in." McCollum remained positive despite the costly error. "People make mistakes," McCollum said. "What can you do? The game's over with, we lost. We have to move forward." (Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles. Editing by Patrick Johnston)