Trail Blazers hold on, end 6-game losing streak to Mavericks

The Portland Trail Blazers hadn’t won back-to-back games since mid-November and hadn’t defeated the Dallas Mavericks in nearly two years.

That all changed Saturday night when the Blazers defeated Dallas 126-122 at the Moda Center.

The Mavericks were without superstar Luka Doncic (calf), but played and won Friday night at the Phoenix Suns.

But none of that diminishes the Blazers’ overall performance, even though they nearly blew a 21-point lead after getting off to a hot start in this one.

“I liked the way we came out of the gates,” acting head coach Nate Bjorkgren said. “I thought our preparedness in the first quarter and the power and pace with which we played was really good. I like the way we started the game. I liked the way we finished the game.”

Four players scored at least 20 points. Shaedon Sharpe led the Blazers with 23 points on 9-of-18 shooting. Deandre Ayton scored 21 points with 16 rebounds. Scoot Henderson came off the bench and produced 19 points with six assists. Anfernee Simons scored 22 and Deni Avdija added 21.

“I thought our team was extremely connected,” Bjorkgren said.

Portland led by as many as 18 in the first quarter and shot 55.6% from the field. Ayton scored 11 points and Sharpe added 10.

The Blazers, who led 69-59 at halftime, came out hot to start the third quarter and built a 91-72 lead late in the period.

The Mavericks kept grinding and finally cut their deficit to 102-97 after Kyrie Irving scored on a deep three-point bank shot that bounced up and in. Seconds later, he hit a baseline jumper that did the same.

Irving also hit a three to cut Dallas’ deficit to 117-111 with about two minutes left. But Simons came back and hit a three to push the Blazers’ lead to 120-111.

The Blazers held on from there.

Irving led all scorers with 46 points, including 20 in the fourth on 6-of-7 shooting.

“Kyrie is hard to guard and we tried to throw everything at him we could,” Bjorkgren.

The key, Ayton said, was not being deflated by big shots from Irving and the Mavericks.

Instead, the Blazers answered each one.

“We make our own baskets, really slowed them down,” Ayton said. “By making baskets, we really deflated them.”

WHAT DOES IT MEAN

The Blazers (11-20) snapped a six-game losing streak to the Mavericks (20-12). Portland’s last win came in January 2023 when they won two games at home in a weekend series with Damian Lillard leading the team.

Dallas won the first two games this season, including a 132-108 win at home on Monday.

These two teams will meet for the last time on January 9th in Dallas.

CAMERA OUT

Blazers forward Toumani Camra sat out with a sprained ankle sustained during Thursday’s win over the Utah Jazz.

“He stepped on a foot there in the Utah game,” Bjorkgren said during his pregame media session.

Avdija started in Camara’s place.

NEXT UP

The Blazers host the Philadelphia 76ers (12-17) at 7 p.m. on Monday.

— Aaron Fentress | [email protected] | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook)