Mavericks-Trail Blazers Preview

By JEFF BARTL
Posted Jan 28 2013 3:01PM

With more than half the season gone and the Dallas Mavericks outside the Western Conference playoff picture, Dirk Nowitzki understands the importance of his team's upcoming four-game road trip.

The Portland Trail Blazers are one of the teams they're chasing.

Dallas seeks its seventh victory in nine games overall and third straight over Portland as it opens its trip Tuesday night.

Nowitzki still isn't 100 percent after sitting out the first 27 games following offseason knee surgery. Not coincidentally, the Mavericks (19-25) could be in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since the 1999-2000 season - Nowitzki's second in the league.

"I'm trying to get myself going and hopefully chase the eighth (and final playoff) spot and really make a good run once I'm all the way back (from injury)," Nowitzki told the team's official website.

Dallas has started to make a move - its only two losses in the last eight were against Oklahoma City and San Antonio - and got 18 points apiece from Nowitzki and Shawn Marion in Sunday's 110-95 win over Phoenix.

"I think this was obviously as close to a must-win as it gets in the regular season knowing we have to go on the road for four tough games against some of the teams that are right there with us or even above us for the eighth spot," said Nowitzki, who passed Allen Iverson for 18th place on the NBA's all-time scoring list.

"I'm starting to feel better. I have a little more pop on my jump shot. I have a little more lift."

The Mavericks, who have won their last two on the road after a 1-9 stretch, also will face Golden State, Phoenix and Oklahoma City during their trip.

"The road trip is a tough trip and the games are all important games, so we wanted to get some momentum," coach Rick Carlisle said. "Portland is back playing really well again. That game is going to be tough. It's a trip we're looking forward to and we'll keep working."

O.J. Mayo scored 32 points and Darren Collison finished with a season-high 13 assists as Dallas shot a season-high 61.5 percent to beat the visiting Blazers 114-91 on Nov. 5 without Nowitzki.

After dropping the first three games on a five-game homestand to Cleveland, Milwaukee and Washington, the Blazers (22-22) beat Indiana and the Clippers. But they fell 96-83 in the back end of a home-and-home set with Los Angeles on Sunday.

LaMarcus Aldridge, who is averaging 27.0 points in his last five versus Dallas, scored a team-high 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds on Sunday for Portland, which has lost seven of nine.

It is averaging 17.4 turnovers over its last seven after committing 19 on Sunday, including five from rookie Damian Lillard.

"Our turnovers hurt us and gave them (the ball in) transition. I thought they were more aggressive," coach Terry Stotts said.

The Blazers also showed fatigue, though they won't have much time to rest before their third game in four nights. Their starting lineup plays the most minutes in the league.

Portland's 16.5 points per game off the bench are by far the fewest in the NBA.

Blazers come from behind to beat Mavs 106-104

By ANNE M. PETERSON
Posted Jan 30 2013 1:56AM

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) LaMarcus Aldridge's buzzer-beating shot had barely left his hands when teammate Nicolas Batum raised his arms in victory.

Aldridge's turnaround jumper fell as time ran out and the Portland Trail Blazers came back from a 21-point third-quarter deficit to beat the Dallas Mavericks 106-104 on Tuesday night.

"I knew," Batum said. "I knew he was going to make it."

Aldridge finished with 29 points and 13 rebounds for Portland, which trailed 101-94 with 2:18 left. J.J. Hickson had a season-high 26 points and 15 rebounds for his 25th double-double.

After Wesley Matthews made two free throws to pull the Blazers to 101-98 with 52 seconds to go, Batum's 3-pointer tied the score.

Dirk Nowitzki answered with his own 3 before Aldridge also had a 3 - the first one he's made this season - to tie it at 104 with 4.9 seconds left. O.J. Mayo was called for charging with 1.5 seconds to go, and Aldridge hit his jumper after the inbound from Matthews with 0.2 seconds left for the victory.

"He (Batum) has his hand up. He said he had a lot of faith in me," said Aldridge, recently named to an All-Star reserve for the second straight year. "I had to watch it go in."

As the confetti streamed down from the rafters of the Rose Garden, Aldridge was tackled by his teammates.

"He was smiling like a rookie, like his first NBA game," Batum said about Aldridge afterward. "We needed those two shots (the 3-pointer and the game-winner). They show people that he really is an All-Star. He is an All Star. He's a go-to guy."

Dirk Nowitzki finished with 26 points for Dallas, which had won six of its last eight games.

"We cannot let Aldridge get set on the block 10 feet from the basket and let him turn around and shoot a wide-open shot," Nowitzki said. "We make those mistakes, especially on the road, and you are going to get bit."

The Mavericks were without center Chris Kaman, who sustained a concussion in a collision during practice on Monday, according to coach Rick Carlisle. There was no timetable for Kaman's return. He is averaging 12.4 points and 6.2 rebounds this season.

The injury comes as the Mavericks have juggled their centers, starting a different one in each of their last three games. Kaman, Elton Brand and rookie Bernard James have each taken turns. Brandan Wright also plays at center for the Mavs.

James made his second straight start against the Blazers.

"It helps to have depth," Carlisle said. "We need all those guys but this (Kaman's injury) is a big hit for us."

In a first half marked by lackluster defense on both sides, Nowitzki's long jumper put Dallas up 37-28.

Nowitzki, who missed the Mavericks' first 27 games after surgery on his right knee, hit another jumper that extended the lead to 47-36. Darren Collison scored 10 straight points and Dallas closed out the first half with 19-6 run to take a 59-42 lead.

Portland struggled with its 3-point shot, going 2 for 12 in the first half.

Mayo's step back jumper pushed Dallas' lead to 69-48 after the break.

Batum, who had two triple-doubles last week for the Blazers, didn't hit from the field until a 3 with 4:43 left in the third quarter that made it 74-58. Luke Babbitt hit a 3-pointer and Aldridge made a short jumper to narrow it, and Portland pulled closer to 78-72 after Aldridge and rookie Damian Lillard each hit free throws.

Portland finished the third on a 16-4 run to get within 74-80 to start the final period.

Batum's driving layup cut Dallas' lead to 86-83 with 8:20 left. After Vince Carter made two free throws for the Mavs, Ronnie Price hit a 3-pointer and Sasha Pavlovic dunked to tie it up at 88.

"This type of loss is about as tough as it gets in the league," Nowitzki said. "We played well enough to win it. Tonight we found a way to lose, instead of finding a way to win. That's the sad thing."

NOTES: The Mavs beat the Blazers 114-91 on Nov. 5 in Dallas. ... The Mavericks were flagged with a technical for six players on the floor late in the first half. ... Portland had 38 points in the third quarter, a season high. ... Aldridge and Hickson are the first Blazers to have at least 26 points and 13 rebounds in the same game since Clyde Drexler and Jerome Kersey on Dec. 2, 1987, against the Lakers. ... It was the 10th time this season the Blazers had won a game in which they trailed at halftime. ... Before Tuesday night, Aldridge had gone 0 for 9 from 3-point range.

Notebook: Trail Blazers 106, Mavericks 104

Kerry Eggers, for NBA.com
Posted Wed Jan 30, 2013 1:55 AM - Updated Wed Jan 30, 2013 2:17 AM

THE FACTS: LaMarcus Aldridge's 18-foot turnaround baseline jumper at the buzzer gave Portland a 106-104 victory over Dallas Tuesday night at the Rose Garden,

Aldridge's game-winner capped an epic comeback as the Trail Blazers (23-22) rallied from deficits of 21 points in the third quarter and seven points with two minutes to play.

Aldridge scored 29 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for Portland, which won for the third time in four games after losing six in a row. J.J. Hickson added a season-high 26 points and hauled in 15 boards for the Blazers.

Dirk Nowitzki scored a season-high 26 points for the Mavericks (19-26).

QUOTABLE: "I can't get tired of appreciating what our team does as far as competing and never giving up. We've seen it a number of times this year, but it never gets old."
-- Blazers coach Terry Stotts, whose Blazers are 13-8 in games decided by six points or fewer this season

THE STAT: Aldridge was 0-for-9 from 3-point range this season until hitting a three from the corner with 4.5 seconds left to tie the score at 104-104.

TURNING POINT: Portland trailed 69-48 early in the third quarter but, behind Aldridge, outscored the Mavericks 26-11 the rest of the quarter to go into the final period down only 80-74.

QUOTABLE II: "The difference between a good team and a bad team is just a couple of possessions down the stretch of a close game. For some reason, we haven't found a way to win those games consistently."
-- Dirk Nowitzki

HOT: Aldridge finished 12-for-20 from the field and was 3-for-4 in the fourth quarter, including a 3-pointer to tie the game and a 2-point basket to win it in the final 4.5 seconds.

NOT: The Blazers won despite poor shooting games from Nicolas Batum (4-for-14) and Damian Lillard (3-for-13).

GOOD MOVE: Stotts, who drew up plays on Portland's final three possessions for Batum despite his troubles. Batum nailed a 3-pointer on the first possession, assisted Aldridge on the second and served as an important decoy on the game-winning shot by Aldridge.

BAD MOVE: Dallas' O.J. Mayo drove hard to the basket but was out of control, drawing an offensive charge against Portland's Ronnie Price with the score tied at 104-104 and 1.5 seconds left.

NOTABLE: Playing in his 18th game since his return from knee surgery, Nowitzki hit the 20-point mark for only the third time this season.

QUOTABLE III: "He said he had a lot of faith in me. That's good, because I didn't know yet. I was waiting for it to go in."
-- LaMarcus Aldridge on Batum, who was racing across the court with arms extending, celebrating even before Aldridge's game-winner went through the net

UP NEXT: For the Mavericks, Thursday @ Golden State, Friday @ Phoenix, Monday @ Oklahoma City. For the Trail Blazers, Friday @ Utah, Saturday vs. Utah, Monday @ Minnesota.

• Mavericks: Cunningham, Kaman
• Trail Blazers: Claver, Williams

• Mavericks: --
• Trail Blazers: --

• Lead Changes: 16
• Times Tied: 7

• Arena: Rose Garden, Portland, OR
• Officials: #13 Monty McCutchen, #16 David Guthrie, #60 James Williams
• Attendance: 18888
• Duration: 2:29