Mavs-Blazers preview: Luka may return; focus must be high, regardless

On By Littum

During a long season of ups and downs, there are certain games where championship-level teams must take care of business and put winnings in the bank.

Monday’s game with the Portland Trail Blazers qualifies in that category.

The Blazers are a team on the mend, but they aren’t ready to challenge for anything other than possibly the No. 1 pick in the lottery and the rights to next summer’s top prize, Cooper Flagg.Kidd

But the Mavericks are in a stretch of the schedule where they can’t afford any slippage. They had an amazing hot streak through November and early December, winning 11 out of 12 games.

But they’ve only split their last four games, and after the Blazers get through, the Mavericks have a more difficult schedule, starting with Minnesota on Christmas Day. Then there’s a four-game road trip that includes games in Phoenix and Houston.

And when they return to the American Airlines Center for their first home game in 2025, they’ll have to mess with the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers.

Coach Jason Kidd often refers to the NBA season as a marathon. If so, this is the point in the race where you can’t let a little leg cramp slow you down.

The Mavericks simply cannot afford to overlook any game they are heavily favored to win, and they are 9½-point favorites against a Portland team that has lost seven of its last eight games, including Saturday’s 114-94 -loss in San Antonio.

Here’s what else to look for in the second of four meetings against the Blazers this season.

  • This will also be the first of three games against Portland in an 18-day span. The Mavericks visit the Moda Center on Saturday and the Blazers return to the AAC on Jan. 9.
  • Luka Dončić has been upgraded to questionable for the game. He has missed the last two games with a left heel contusion. Jaden Hardy (right ankle sprain) remains out. For the Blazers, Delano Banton (hip) is questionable and Matisse Thybulle (right ankle sprain) is out. The Blazers will be much healthier than when the Mavericks beat them 137-131 on Dec. 1. In that game, Portland was without rookie center Donovan Clingan and highly regarded second-year point guard Scoot Henderson. Both play on Monday. In the first meeting, Quentin Grimes had a season-best 28 points and a career-high five steals.
  • The Blazers don’t win many games, but they have some supremely athletic young players. Shaedon Sharpe and Anfernee Simons, who both average 17.7 points. Clingan, the 7-2 rookie center who is averaging six points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game.
  • In the loss at San Antonio, Sharpe had 25 points on 11-of-16 shooting, including 3-of-6 from long range.
  • The Mavericks are 1-1 at home after splitting games with the Los Angeles Clippers. In their win on Saturday, they had eight players in double figures, including Dereck Lively II, who added 11 rebounds to go with his 11 points.

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (9-19) at MAVERICKS (18-10)

WHEN: 19.30, Monday.

WHERE: American Airlines Center, Dallas

TV: KFAA-29, MavsTV STREAM

RADIO: KEGL 97.1 FM, 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish)

X: @ESefko