The Portland Trail Blazers Win Over The Dallas Mavericks With Yet Another Strong Second Half

Following a big win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday, the Blazers carried their strong play into Thursday’s game versus the Mavericks. They have improved to 3-2 on the season, and Dallas is also 3-2 after this big loss.

Throughout the first two quarters, the Mavericks seemed to be in charge, leading for a majority of the half. They went in to the locker rooms with a four-point lead, but Terry Stotts must’ve said the right things because the Blazers came out strong in the third quarter.

They started off with a 9-0 run giving them a five-point lead, but Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs pulled it back and kept it tight up until about eight minutes remaining in the quarter. Portland’s starters continued to make shots, and they never looked back.

In just the third, the Blazers managed to outscore Dallas 35-18, 10 of which came in the last three minutes of play. Only behind by 13, the Mavs looked to still have a chance, but thanks to lights out shooting by Portland, it never happened.

The Blazers dominated just about every aspect of the game, as the final score reflected. They shot an incredible 52 percent from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc, while the Mavericks shot 36 percent and 21 percent from three. They also pulled down almost 20 more boards than Dallas.

Portland’s bench stood out tonight. Last season, they ranked 27th in bench points, averaging just 23.6 a game. In tonight’s game, C.J. McCollum, Steve Blake, and Chris Kaman combined for 33 of the bench’s 42 points, outscoring Dallas' bench by 7.

The Mavericks had a poor shooting night. Parsons started out 1-9, Dirk made just 2 of his 7 attempted threes, and Monta Ellis had very few opportunities after getting his fourth foul early in the third.

They play the Utah Jazz on Friday who are also coming off a big win against the Cavs, so look for Dallas to change their game plan up a bit to prevent going 3-3 on the season.

Top Performers: