Inside Report: No. 6 Blazers (0-1) vs. No. 3 Mavericks (1-0) — Game 2 preview

Earl K. Sneed previews Game 2 of the Mavericks' opening-round playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers, as forward Dirk Nowitzki and point guard Jason Kidd try to lift Dallas to a 2-0 lead before the series shifts to the Rose Garden.

DALLAS — The Mavericks were in this exact same position a season ago. Tuesday night, the Mavs get a chance to make up for last year’s postseason failure by not allowing history to repeat itself.

Much like last season, when the Mavericks held a 1-0 series edge over the San Antonio Spurs, the Dallas squad is staring a two-game advantage in a first-round series right in the face, before the best-of-seven showdown shifts to the lower-seeded team’s home floor. Only this time around the Mavericks don’t plan to be derailed, heading into their Game 2 matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night with their three consecutive losses to the Spurs — before eventually losing the series in six games — a year ago stuck in their brains.

“Any time you can start a series off with a win is always a positive,” point guard Jason Kidd explained. “We know we’re in for a fight. Portland is a very good team, well-coached, so to get off to a good start is a plus for us. … This is the same position we were in last year. We beat San Antonio at home and then we lost the next three. So, the big thing is for us to protect home and we can’t give a game away, working so hard to get Game 1 and then turn around Game 2 and give it away.”

“[Winning Game 1] means nothing if you lose Game 2,” forward Dirk Nowitzki echoed. “That’s what we did last year here, we only split [Games 1 and 2] against San Antonio and then ended up losing in six. … As we know they’re very good at home. They’re one of the best home teams in the league, their fans are phenomenal. So, we’d love to go up there and be up 2-0.”

The Mavericks plan to do just that behind Kidd and Nowitzki, after the two 10-time All-Stars led the way in the first outing. Nowitzki scored a game-high 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Kidd connected on 6-of-10 from 3-point range en route to his 24 points in the win.

And with Game 2 likely to feature plenty of adjustments from both squads, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle admits that the pressure will be on his two on-the-court leaders as well as the rest of the team to come through with a clutch win before heading to the Rose Garden for Games 3 and 4, two matchups that will take place in an arena where the Mavs fell twice during the regular season.

“This time a year, if you don’t like pressure you shouldn’t be in this business,” Carlisle empathically said. “You’ve gotta make pressure your friend, and it brings out the best in the best competitors. So, that’s what it’s about.”

Meanwhile, the Mavericks will try to find an answer for Blazers big man LaMarcus Aldridge, after the Seagoville native and his five alley-oop finishes kept the visiting team in the game in spectacular fashion. And after Aldridge once again dominated the interior — as he did during the four regular-season matchups between the two teams — by scoring 27 points on 12-of-20 from the floor, Carlisle says that the Mavericks’ biggest adjustment from Game 1 to Game 2 will have to be keeping the All-Star snub further and further away from the rim.

“Well, we’ve got to do some things better defensively, for sure. The lob passes for 10 points is too many, and they’re great at it. But we’ve got to concentrate on trying to take away those. And they hurt us in transition and they hurt us in some other situations as well,” Carlisle explained.

But the Blazers say that they are also up for the challenge in Game 2, looking to build some momentum before returning home to host the Mavericks in Portland’s hostile home venue. And after watching as the Mavs outhustled his team in the fourth quarter to secure the win, Blazers coach Nate McMillian says that in order for his players to come away with a split in Dallas they must first beat the home team to every loose ball.

“It’s just a sense of urgency,” McMillian pointed out. “We have to play the game like there’s no tomorrow. Every possession is very important, and we looked at tape and they beat us to the 50-50 balls [in Game 1]. It was just a matter of it looked like they wanted it more than we did. And those are plays that you must make in games and playoff games to give yourself a chance to win.”

Note: Game 2 of the opening-round matchup will tip off on Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m. CT, airing nationally on TNT and locally on TXA 21. Great seats are still available and tickets can be purchased by visiting the American Airlines Center box office, logging on to Mavs.com or by calling 214-747-MAVS (6287).

The first-round series between the two teams continues as follows:
Game 3 - Thurs. April 21 Dallas at Portland 9:30 p.m. CT TXA 21/TNT
Game 4 - Sat. April 23 Dallas at Portland 4:00 p.m. CT TXA 21/ TNT
Game 5 * Mon April 25 Portland at Dallas TBD TBD TBD
Game 6 * Thu April 28 Dallas at Portland TBD TBD TBD
Game 7 * Sat April 30 Portland at Dallas TBD TBD TNT

Single-game tickets for the first two Mavs home games of the First Round of the 2011 NBA Playoffs are now on sale. Fans that purchase single-game tickets will receive a commemorative 2011 Mavs Playoff ticket*, which will allow the fans to experience augmented reality, a new technology that will bring the ticket to life with animated Mavs players including Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd and Jason Terry. Game day and commemorative tickets will go live when the 2011 Playoffs begin.

Tickets will be available online at mavs.com, via phone (214-747-6287 or 1-800-4NBA-TIX) and the American Airlines Center® North Box Office**. Ticket prices start at $15 and up and there is an eight ticket limit per game. Tickets are also sold at all Ticketmaster outlets (Fiesta Grocery Stores, Simon Mall in Garland and Shops at Willow Bend).

Fans that purchase single game tickets at the American Airlines Center® North Box Office will receive their commemorative ticket at that time. For those purchasing online or at a Ticketmaster outlet, commemorative tickets will be available to pick up at the American Airlines Center® North Box Office or on Playoff game nights at the Mavs ticket sales table on the main concourse near the North Box Office. Augmented Reality is available only on Android phones. For more information, go to http://www.nba.com/mavericks/ar/ar.html.

Individual game tickets are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at the American Airlines Center box office, on Mavs.com or by calling 214-747-MAVS (6287). Get in on the action and be there for all the thrills!

Fans can visit Mavs.com or call 214.747.MAVS for more information and a complete listing of regular-season home games.