PORTLAND, OREGON — After splitting two games at home with the Clippers the Mavericks lost to the Trailblazers in Portland on Friday night 125-119 falling short on the road and falling to the 8th spot in the playoff race.
The Mavericks were red hot from the field in the first quarter and converted on 60% of their shots from the field with 7 of those shots coming from beyond the arc. Luka Doncic scored 6 first quarter points and distributed the ball well, notching 3 assists. Both Maxi Kleber and Jalen Brunson were beneficiaries of Doncic’s illustration on offense combining to score 15 first quarter points. Despite the Mavericks solid outing on offense in the first quarter the Blazers were just as hot from the three point line as the Mavericks were from the field in general knocking down 8 out of their 12 shots from the perimeter. After all the Mavericks had done offensively in the first quarter the Trailblazers were cash money from the three point and it led to them finishing the first quarter with a 37-33 lead.
It wasn’t a typical start for the Mavericks offensively surprisingly. Dallas had one of their most productive quarters of the month and found consistency from the field and from the three point line which has been their achilles heel for the majority of the season. The biggest factor in this game was how Portland forced Dallas to play at their pace. Regardless, the deficit the Mavericks faced wasn’t one they couldn’t overcome.
In the second quarter Luka Doncic took over and scored 12 points increasing his point total to 22 points on the night converting on 57% of his shots and Maxi Kleber . The Mavericks bench mob also made their contribution felt out performing the Blazers 14-10 in bench points. Dallas put together two solid quarters from the field but still trailed the Blazers. Damian Lillard matched Luka’s point total and made 3 out of 4 shot attempts from beyond the arc helping his team maintain their 4 point lead going into halftime.
Overall, Dallas’s offensive play was much improved through two quarters in comparison to how they have played in previous outings struggling in the first and finding their groove in the second. Against a team like the Trailblazers every possession counts and it’s crucial to not fall behind because Portland has a reputation for closing out games.
In third the Mavericks played the Blazers close and contested their 4 point lead several times through the quarter and eventually tied the game after Tim Hardaway Jr knocked down a big time three pointer. That shot swung momentum back into the Mavericks favor and helped them finish the quarter with a 5 point 98-93 lead.The Trailblazers had a bad break late in the third when Damian Lillard went down after twisting up his ankle taking away a huge chunk of their offensive production, which was short lived. Dallas finished the third quarter shooting 62% from the field which was the second time they’ve done so on the night. Kristaps Porzingis was another key to the Mavericks success in the third quarter scoring on all 3 of his shot attempts from the field and he and Luka combined to score 16 of the Mavericks third quarter points.
Dallas’s offense came to a screeching halt in the fourth quarter after playing three solid offensive quarters to start the game. Luka Doncic, Trey Burke, and Tim Hardaway Jr were the only ones to score points in the entire fourth quarter of the game as it seemed like someone placed a piece of circular plexiglass over the hoop on the Mavericks end. Damian Lillard and the Blazers took advantage and climbed back into the game after trailing at the beginning of the fourth quarter by 5 points to take the lead late and secure a win to move ahead 3 games of the Mavericks in the playoff standings and Dallas hanging on to the 8th spot. The fourth quarter came down to who made the bigger shots and the Blazers rose to the occasion.
Tonight the Mavericks effort on offense was outstanding but limited and instead of struggling in the first quarter they struggled in the fourth still not finishing a game playing a complete game all four quarters. It was a tough night and tough road loss but one the Mavericks allowed to get away from them which has happened rarely this season. Right now Dallas is in dangerous territory with the season winding down, and road heavy schedule. In the west, the 8th spot is never guaranteed and Dallas has to start winning games against the better teams in the conference if they want to make the playoffs.
