The Dallas Mavericks aren’t looking to surprise opponents. Their game plan relies heavily on the 3-point shot, and that figures to be the case again when they face the host Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday.
Dallas’ excellence from beyond the arc led to a four-game winning streak, which ended in a 119-101 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday.
The Mavericks will look to bounce back against Portland, which has dropped five straight. The Blazers trailed by as many as 33 in the second half of a 122-114 loss to the Utah Jazz on Thursday.
Portland will need an improved defensive effort against the Mavericks, who entered Friday’s play leading the league in made 3-pointers at 15.9 per game.
Luka Doncic had 39 points and 13 rebounds on Thursday against Minnesota, but the Mavericks were held to their third-lowest scoring game of the season after shooting just 7 of 32 (21.9 percent) from beyond the arc.
“You got to know who you are,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “And this is who we are. We can create a lot of threes. We got guys that are very dominant in the sense of getting two (defenders) on the ball and that’s advantage basketball. There are going to be nights when they don’t fall.
“But if we can continue to be consistent with being able to create those shots, then I think the analytics will tell you that you’ll probably win more than you lose. But there are going to be nights when it just doesn’t drop.”
The Mavericks are monitoring the status of guard Kyrie Irving, who has missed the last three games with a right foot injury. Irving’s absence has resulted in extra defensive attention toward Doncic, who has scored at least 30 points in nine straight games.
“Luka has to lead the league in double-teams,” Kidd said. “He’s being doubled for the majority of games.”
Dallas is seeking its second straight win over the Blazers after posting a 125-112 victory on Dec. 8 in Portland. Dallas never trailed in the contest and led by as much as 19 in the first half.
The rebuilding Blazers have offered reason for optimism in recent weeks but took a step back in Thursday’s loss to Utah. The Jazz scored 38 points in the first quarter and shot 53.3 percent from the field for the game.
“Defensively, we were horrible,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. “We’re trying to establish ourselves as a defense-first team, and I think it’s been a couple games when we get some of our offensive players back, and it looks sweet and cute when we make shots. But that’s not who we are. That’s not who we’re trying to be.”
One bright spot was the play of rookie guard Scoot Henderson, who is averaging 21 points and eight assists over his last two games. He was averaging 9.3 points and 4.1 assists before this week’s hot streak.
“I’m just more comfortable,” Henderson said. “Ya’ll are just seeing the ball go in more. That’s about it. Obviously, still confident.”
Portland also received a boost from Deandre Ayton, who returned after missing three games with a knee injury and contributed 14 points and nine rebounds.
–Field Level Media