Mavericks-Trail Blazers Recap

(Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Mavs get ran out of the Rose Garden
Dallas Mavericks 89 at Portland Trail Blazers 101

After losing two home games by a combined six points to the Portland Trail Blazers, the Dallas Mavericks entered the Rose Garden with one goal: Returning the favor.

Not so fast, my friend.

(Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Blazers had something else in mind. Instead of relinquishing a victory to the Mavs, Portland won their third of four matchups in the season series. This time with a wider margin of victory. In a game full of runs, the Blazers saved their best spurt for the final stretch while the Mavericks fizzled in a 101-89 defeat.

"(The Blazers) played well and we need to play better, I think it comes down to that," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said after the loss. "I think tonight they were more aggressive in the second half and they did a great job defensively down the stretch."

"It's the bottom line, they beat us three times. For us, at this point in the season, it's not about 3-0 or 4-0. It's about us getting better for the next step, and I think we can look at this game and understand that next season this is how teams will play us. It's good that it happened now and not next season," point guard Jason Kidd said.

Playing before a nationally televised audience, the Mavericks sought their revenge as they began a two-game road trip. After scoring the first six points of the night, the Mavs appeared to be well on their way to retribution. But the Blazers returned fire with eight unanswered. Portland then would go in front by as much as nine in the opening period behind the inside duo of LaMarcus Aldridge and Marcus Camby. The Mavericks would rally behind Brendan Haywood's inside play at both ends of the court play. Haywood, who came off the bench for the second straight game behind starting center Erick Dampier, handled the interior while fellow newcomer Caron Butler provided Dallas' perimeter scoring. Still, the Blazers' 12 free throw attempts, compared to zero trips to the line for the Mavs, had Portland in front 32-27 after one.

"They did a good job of jamming and stopping us early and keeping the pace of the game, which you've got to give them credit for that," forward Shawn Marion said.

Both teams shot lights-out in the first quarter, as Dallas hit on 13-of-23 from the field, and Portland connected on 12-of-22.

Haywood continued to be the story early in the second period, patrolling the paint for defensive rejections and two-hand dunks on the offensive end. The 7-footer then got help from Kidd, as the 37-year-old swished in shots from behind the 3-point arch. But the Blazers combated the Mavs' inside-outside play with an 8-0 run. That's when Butler took over the scoring load for the Mavericks, scoring eight straight Dallas points. Still, Brandon Roy's driving layup with 1.9 ticks left in the half gave Portland a 60-54 edge heading into the intermission.

The hot-shooting first half continued throughout the first 24 minutes of play, as the Mavs shot 53 percent while the Blazers nailed 56 percent of their shots. Butler led all scorers at the midway mark with 16 points, while Aldridge's 14 paced Portland.

(Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)
Carlisle liked what he saw from Haywood in the first two quarters, so the former North Carolina product got the start in the second half. With the new five-man unit, the Mavericks quickly knotted the game at 60-all with the first six points of the third quarter. Just like the beginning of the game, Portland answered once again, this time with a 12-0 run of its own. Fittingly, the Mavericks immediately tallied up seven straight points in response. The two teams then settled down, with Dallas remaining close behind threes from Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry. By quarter's end, the Mavericks still found themselves down 80-75 heading into the fourth.

"They took us out of a lot of stuff, and we need to be more aggressive offensively, execute better and work to create shots," Carlisle said.

As he had the entire night, Butler tried to create shots while putting the squad on his back early in the final period. But despite No. 4's best efforts, the Blazers sprinted to a double-digit advantage behind Aldridge and Andre Miller. Portland's lead reached as much as 13 down the stretch, before Carlisle pulled his key contributors in the final minute. The Blazers finished the game on a 19-9 run.

"They were extremely aggressive, particularly in the fourth," the coach added. "It's frustrating to our team when we're unable to get clean looks at the basket."

After the hot start, the Mavericks finished the night shooting 44 percent. Meanwhile, the Blazers shot 50 percent. Albeit in a losing effort, the Mavericks did knock down 9-of-22 from behind the arch. Dallas also held a 39-36 rebounding edge. But the Blazers' 44-34 advantage in points in the paint was crucial. Most importantly, Portland grounded Dallas' fast-breaking attack, as the Blazers outscored the Mavericks 16-0 in transition points.

"We had zero fast break points and they had 16. To me, that means two things -- you need to get more stops to get in transition to get quality looks at the basket and we never had them under 50 percent the whole game. That was a problem for our running game. When you get beat 16 to nothing on the break, it's tough to win," Carlisle explained.

"They did a good job of jamming the ball and taking that aspect (fast break offense) of the game away," Kidd added. "Also, when you make shots, that takes away the running game. So, lesson learned, and we have to understand what we have to do next time and that's a big part of our game -- getting out and running."

Butler's game-high 25 points on 11-of-19 from the field kept the Mavericks in contention all night, but in the fourth the two-time All-Star got little help. Marion (15), Nowitzki (15), Kidd (11) and Terry (11) gave the team five double-figure scorers.

Aldridge led the Blazers with 20 points. The combination of Aldridge and Camby tallied 37 points and 21 rebounds, doing damage in the painted area. After his 52-point effort in Portland's 114-112 overtime win in Dallas on Jan. 30, Miller followed it up with a double-double, scoring 19 points and shelling out 10 assists.

The Mavericks get their final regular season chance at handing the Blazers a loss back in the Rose Garden on April 9.

"We just need to learn from it and give them credit, they took this one," Marion said. "We need to come back here (April 9), and that's how you got to look at it.

Now the Mavericks try to get back in the win column when they conclude their mini road trip in Oakland on Saturday night against the Golden State Warriors. The two teams have split the first two games of the season series, with each squad winning on the other team's home floor. The game will air locally on KTXA and KTXA HD at 7:30 p.m. CT.

The squad returns to the American Airlines Center on Monday night when they host the Denver Nuggets. The Mavs and Nuggets have split the first two games of the season series. That matchup will air nationally on NBA TV and locally on KTXA 21 at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

For up to the minute news on the Dallas Mavericks, visit Mavs.com. Follow Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Mavericks-Trail Blazers Preview

(Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Possible playoff preview in Rip City
Dallas Mavericks (47-24) at Portland Trail Blazers (42-29)

The Dallas Mavericks don't expect to finish too many games without Dirk Nowitzki on the court. But if the Mavericks have to, as they did in Tuesday's 106-96 home win over the Los Angeles Clippers, then they know they're in good hands with Jason Kidd.

With Nowitzki ejected for just the third time in his career at the 9:16-mark of the third quarter, Kidd celebrated his 37th birthday by festively scoring a season-high 26 points, dishing out 12 assists and grabbing six rebounds to lead the Mavs to the W. The 10-time All-Star also connected on 6-of-11 from 3-point range, the most he's tallied from behind the arch in a game this season.

"With Dirk out, I thought I'd play Dirk," Kidd said. "I didn't want a bad birthday, so I was going to take the blame if we lost with my offensive output."

(Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)

"I thought (Kidd) willed the team with his energy and his enthusiasm," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said of the future Hall of Famer's performance. "He got guys engaged and it wasn't just playmaking -- it was shotmaking, it was assists, it was defensive plays, it was giving guys confidence out there."

Now the Mavericks will once again need Kidd at his best, with Nowitzki back in action, against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden to start a two-game road trip.

As the two teams battle for playoff positioning, it is possible that the Mavs and Blazers could meet in an opening postseason series. If that's the case then the Mavericks would really like to make a statement, after dropping the first two games to the Blazers this season at the American Airlines Center by a total of six points.

"We haven't beat them all year, so this is a big game for us," sixth man Jason Terry said of the matchup.

Big game is right.

The Blazers have won eight of their last 10 games and four straight at home. But Portland still only sits in the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Meanwhile, the Southwest Division-leading Mavericks enter Thursday with the two seed, but they are locked in a dogfight with the Denver Nuggets for the second spot in the standings. With the contest against the Blazers and Saturday's road game against the Golden State Warriors, the squad is doing its best not to look ahead to Monday night's date at home against the Nuggets.

"Looking at Golden State and then Denver - so a big three-game stretch for us and we want to win them all," Terry added.

But winning all three games starts with slowing down a Portland squad that has out-executed the Mavericks down the stretch of the first two meetings. In the Mavs' 85-81 loss on Dec. 22, it was Brandon Roy that torched the Dallas defense for 10 of his team-high 23 points in the fourth to lead the Blazers to the victory. That was nothing compared to Andre Miller's career-high 52 points against the Mavs, with Roy sidelined due to a hamstring injury, to help the Blazers to a 114-112 overtime win on Jan. 30.

(Photo by Danny Bollinger/NBAE via Getty Images)
Miller's performance was the third-best by any scorer against the Mavericks in franchise history, and his 22 made field goals is an American Airlines Center record.

"Guys in this league, when they get in a groove, they can have special nights like that," Carlisle said of Miller's night. "We tried a lot of different guys on him...He played a phenomenal game. Guys like him get the rolls. A lot of those hung on the rim and went in. So, you have to give him his due. It was a phenomenal effort. We obviously didn't do a good job on him."

Now the Mavericks try to do a better job defensively on Miller and Roy, coming off of a fourth quarter performance that held the Clippers in check. Dallas outscored L.A. 30-19, holding the Clippers to just 5-of-22 shooting in the final quarter. According to Kidd, the defense will once again be the key come Thursday night.

"We're a pretty good team when we get defensive stops," the veteran point guard said.

Beginning a two-game expedition on the road, the Mavs travel to meet the Blazers in front of a national audience. The game will be televised nationally on TNT, airing at 9:30 p.m. CT.

The Mavericks return to the American Airlines Center on Monday night when they host the Nuggets. The squads have split the first two games of the season series. That matchup will air nationally on NBA TV and locally on KTXA 21 at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

For up to the minute news on the Dallas Mavericks, visit Mavs.com. Follow Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Trail Blazers-Mavericks Recap

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Portland Trail Blazers 114 at Dallas Mavericks 112 F/OT

The Dallas Mavericks entered their matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers looking to avenge an 85-81 home loss on Dec. 22.

After Andre Miller's performance on Saturday night left the Mavericks scratching their heads, the December loss was the furthest thing from their minds.

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

With Portland's All-Star guard Brandon Roy out with a hamstring injury, Miller showed up and showed out. Hitting on 22-of-31 shots he hoisted up, the veteran point guard poured in a career-high 52 points to power the Blazers to a 114-112 overtime win on Dallas' home floor, yet again. Though they had their chance to win, Miller was simply too much for the Mavericks down the stretch.

"Guys in this league, when they get in a groove, they can have special nights like that," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said of Miller's night. "We tried a lot of different guys on him...He played a phenomenal game. On nights like tonight, guys like him get the rolls. A lot of those hung on the rim and went in. So, you have to give him his due. It was a phenomenal effort. We obviously didn't do a good job on him."

"I've had a few heated nights in my career, but I think this was one of those nights where I just didn't stop shooting," Miller said of his career outing, eclipsing his previous career-high of 37.

The Mavericks were a little shorthanded as well, playing without reserve big man Tim Thomas after the veteran left the team for personal reasons. With no Thomas coming off of the bench, Carlisle needed more from his starting unit. Behind a quick start from forwards Shawn Marion and Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavs came out of the gates sprinting. But Miller ran the pick-and-roll to perfection with big man LaMarcus Aldridge in the opening quarter, powering Portland to a 26-21 edge after one.

"A poor start to the game defensively," the coach said plainly.

Playing without Thomas, big man Drew Gooden and rookie Rodrigue Beaubois sparked the Mavericks' second string to begin the second stanza. Also providing fireworks was forward Eduardo Najera, who saw his first game action since returning to the team via a Jan. 11 trade with New Jersey. The fan favorite got the hometown faithful out of their seats with a 3-pointer, putting the Mavs ahead 32-29 with 6:42 remaining in the first half. But the second quarter was all about Josh Howard, raining in 14 points with an array of shots to lift his team to a 47-44 lead heading into halftime.

The Blazers out-shot the Mavericks, connecting on 47 percent of their shots compared to Dallas' 44 percent shooting in the half. But Dallas held the scoring edge at the midway point despite Miller's 19 first half points.

"It all started with easy layups that got him going," Nowitzki said of Miller's early scoring attack.

Miller continued his scoring assault on the Dallas defense to start the third quarter. As they did in first quarter, the Mavericks countered with more Nowitzki and Marion in the halfcourt. But the Mavericks' offense was out of sorts, causing Nowitzki to succumb to the frustration, as the superstar was assessed a technical foul at the 1:06-mark of the quarter. Meanwhile, Aldridge came on strong in the period, giving the Blazers a seven-point edge before J.J. Barea's buzzer-beating three cut the deficit to 73-69 heading into the fourth. The Mavericks shot just 7-for-19, as Portland outscored Dallas 29-22 in the third.

"In the fourth quarter, it was just make something happen. We really didn't look great (in the third) and we were down," Nowitzki said.

With his team down, Nowitzki attempted to rally the troops. But Miller and Steve Blake continued to keep the Mavs at bay. Despite the best efforts of Portland's backcourt, the Mavericks knotted the game at 88-all on a driving score by Jason Terry with 5:09 remaining. The two teams then exchanged jabs, and the lead, like prize fighters, as Nowitzki and Miller refused to let their teams lose.

Nowitzki got a little help from Jason Kidd, as the veteran lead guard knocked home a three to put Dallas ahead 97-96 with 1:48 remaining. Miller came right back with a three-point play. The game was once again tied at 99-all when Nowitzki sent Aldridge to the line with 59.0 ticks left in regulation, but the big man went 0-for-2 at the charity stripe. After collecting the rebound, the Mavericks went to their go-to guy, and Nowitzki once again thrived. No. 41 swished home a patented jumper to put his team ahead two with 41.9 seconds on the game clock.

After a Portland timeout, Marion was called for a foul, sending Miller to the line where he calmly tied the game once again. Matched up one-on-one with Aldridge, Nowitzki got the ball on the right elbow, but Aldridge poked the All-Star forward in the eye. Back at the line with 26.8 seconds, Nowitzki nailed a pair of clutch free throws, as the Mavericks went back ahead on the scoreboard. But as he had all night long, Miller brought his team back, this time connecting on a running hook to tie the game at 103-all.

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

As they have his whole career, the Mavericks expected another game-winner from Nowitzki, but No. 41's go-ahead shot attempt bounced off of the iron and into Juwan Howard's hands with 1.3 ticks left for Portland to end things.

"I had a good look at the game-winner. It's a shot that I've got to make," Nowitzki said.

After a timeout, the Blazers went to Aldridge, but the big man's fadeaway jumper hit the front of the rim as time expired.

"You can't let teams hang around at home, you can't turn it into a shot-making contest," the coach said. "We can't be adrenaline junkies and take it down to the last possession every night. We should be a better basketball team than that."

The extra period began with a three from Miller, as his career night continued. The veteran point guard hit the 50-point mark on a jumper with 3:21 left in the overtime.

"I didn't look at it as scoring the ball, but just going out and making plays and being the point guard," Miller said. "The shots came, and since they were going in, I was just going to keep shooting."

But a three from Terry and Kidd's tip-in had the Mavs in front 112-108 with 2:22 on the clock. After a pair of free throws from Jerryd Bayless, Miller knotted the game again with a driving score. Portland then surged ahead on Howard's jumper with 44.9 seconds remaining. The Blazers then forced a Nowitzki miss, grabbing the rebound and calling timeout with 20.3 seconds left.

But the Dallas defense held its ground, forcing a Blake miss from 3-point range. Barea grabbed the subsequent rebound and called timeout with just 3.2 seconds available for a tying shot. Again the Mavericks went to Nowitzki, but his shot over Nicolas Batum rimmed in and rolled out as time expired.

"In overtime, the same thing," Nowitzki added. "I had a couple of good shots. This is definitely a tough one to swallow."

"You're going to have nights when it comes down to the last shot and you don't make it. But the question you've got to ask is, 'Is that the play to reflect on or is it a total of a lot of other things going on that put you in that position?' In my view, it's a lot of other things going on," Carlisle concluded.

The game finished with 20 ties and 13 lead changes. The Mavericks are now 3-3 in overtime games.

Miller's output is the third best performance against the Mavericks in the team's history, and his 22 made field goals is an American Airlines Center record.

"It seemed like Miller got to the basket whenever he wanted," Nowitzki summed up the night.

Nowitzki finished with a team-high 28 points to lead six Mavericks in double figures. Terry (18), Howard (17), Barea ((13), Marion (12) and Kidd all scored in double figures. Kidd also record his 14th double-double of the season, dishing out 10 assists, albeit in a loss. Kidd's assists total was one more than Portland's entire team, as most of the Blazers' offense was Miller's scoring.

Aldridge added 21 points as four Blazers scored in double figures.

Portland finished the night out-shooting Dallas 54 percent to 47 percent, though the Mavs hit 7-of-14 from behind the arch. The Mavericks did out-rebound the Blazers 42-39 and the Dallas bench outscored Portland's reserves 44-18. But it wasn't enough to overcome a 60-46 points in the paint differential in the Blazers' favor.

Now, the Mavericks head back out on the road and touch down in Salt Lake City on Monday for a battle with the Utah Jazz. The two teams have split the first two games of the season series, with the Jazz most recently leaving Dallas with a 111-93 win on Jan. 9. The Mavericks-Jazz matchup will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 8 p.m. CT.

"Utah's a tough place to play," Nowitzki said. "They're really starting to play better...I think they're really starting to come along, and really being the force at home that they really have been the last couple of years.

"It's a tough building to play in, but we've usually been good at recovering from losses and turning losses into something positive."

Dallas returns home to host the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS. The game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:30 p.m. CT. The Mavericks will be out to avenge a 111-103 home loss on Nov. 24.

For up to the minute news on the Dallas Mavericks, visit Mavs.com. Follow Mavs.com’s Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.