NBA Preview from The Sports Network
Tuesday, January 29th
(All times Eastern)
Dallas Mavericks (19-25) at Portland Trail Blazers (22-22), 10 p.m.
(Sports Network) - It appears the Dallas Mavericks are back to their
recognizable style of play and look to remain on the right path Tuesday
against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden.
The Mavericks will begin a four-game road swing against the Blazers, Warriors,
Suns and Thunder, and are 7-16 as the visitor this season. They won for the
sixth time in eight tries with Sunday's 110-95 victory over Phoenix as Shawn
Marion and Dirk Nowitzki scored 18 points apiece to lead the way.
Marion also registered a game-high nine rebounds and five assists in his
1,000th career regular-season game. Marion has scored 18-plus points for the
fifth time in his last eight games.
"He played extremely well. He stepped up his game tonight and I thought he was
very aggressive from start to finish," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said of
Marion. "When he's on the floor at forward, Dirk is off the floor. Those are
big minutes for us because that's just the time of the game that's very
critical. He's been holding the fort really since Dirk's been back in those
stretches and did a really good job again tonight."
Vince Carter added 15 points for the Mavs, who rebounded from a loss to the
rival San Antonio Spurs on Friday and have scored 100-plus points in each of
the previous eight games, going 6-2 in that time and averaging 110.1 ppg. The
Mavericks used a 34-12 run in the first and second quarter to take control.
Dallas has scored 110-plus points in three of its last four games.
Carlisle needs just two more wins for 500 in his career and Nowitzki passed
76ers great Allen Iverson (24,368) for 18th place on the all-time scoring
list.
The Mavericks have won two in a row away from Big D.
Portland's short-lived two-game winning streak came to an end with a 96-83
loss to the Los Angeles Clippers Sunday in the back end of a home-and-home
series from the Staples Center.
LaMarcus Aldridge ended with 21 points and 11 rebounds, while rookie Damian
Lillard and J.J. Hickson tallied 16 and 15 points, respectively, for the Trail
Blazers, whose two-game winning streak came on the heels of a six-game slide
and were coming off Saturday's 101-100 victory versus the Clippers.
"It's tough to beat a team back-to-back," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said.
"The Clippers came out more aggressive."
Portland turned the ball over 19 times, leading to 18 L.A. points. After
hosting the Mavs, the Blazers will begin a home-and-home series with the Utah
Jazz on Friday night.
Meanwhile, Lillard leads all rookies in scoring (18.3 ppg) and assists (6.5
apg), and scored 13 points in a 114-91 loss at Dallas back on Nov. 5. The
Mavericks were led by O.J. Mayo's 32 points in that one and have won two
straight and three of the past four matchups with the Blazers.
01/29 10:34:32 ET

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