The Mavericks knew this wasn’t going to be easy, and Game 3 left no doubt about just how tough this first-round playoff series will be.
They lost a rugged, foul-filled game, 97-92, Thursday night at the Rose Garden, reducing their lead in the best-of-7 first-round series to 2-1.
The Mavericks had been neck-and-neck with the Blazers throughout until a 21-5 Portland spree bridging the third and fourth quarters put the Blazers in control.
The Mavericks were trying to take a commanding 3-0 lead but couldn’t contain an array of Blazers, including reserve Brandon Roy, who had been a forgotten man in the series but had 16 crucial points.
The Mavericks’ problems started late in the third quarter when they saw a three-point lead turn into a three-point deficit in the last 2:05.
The Blazers then started the fourth quarter with a 12-2 sprint that put them ahead, 87-74, with less than eight minutes to go.
Shortly after the time that the Mavericks were getting hit with the Blazers’ best shot, owner Mark Cuban got into it with some Portland fans seated near the Mavericks’ bench during a timeout with 6:56 left.
The incident did not appear to be serious.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks fought back slowly and when J.J. Barea scooped in a layup with 2:35 to go, the Mavericks were within 93-87.
But LaMarcus Aldridge, who had another strong game, hit a jumper with 2:20 showing to push the Blazers’ lead back to eight.
The Mavericks still made the Blazers sweat down the stretch. Jason Kidd hit a jumper that was ruled a 2-pointer because his toe was a fraction of an inch on the 3-point arc with 12.9 seconds to go.
That shot made it 95-92, and after the Blazers had trouble getting the ball in and had to call two timeouts, they finally inbounded and Andre Miller hit two free throws with 9.6 seconds left to clinch it.
It ended what had been a thrilling game with neither team ever gaining a real foothold until the Blazers inched out early in the fourth quarter.
Jason Terry helped keep the Mavericks in striking distance with 29 points. Dirk Nowitzki had 25, but no other Maverick was in double figures.
The Blazers had a few more helpers than the Mavericks did. The Mavericks had the score tied in the early going. The only problem is that they were tied with Wesley Matthews, 16-16.
The rest of the Blazers had added just six points at that stage.
The Mavericks were fighting some foul trouble in the first half. Tyson Chandler had missed the Mavericks’ last game at the Rose Garden, which came late in the regular season, with a sore back.
He missed most of the first half in this one, too, with three fouls. He played less than nine first-half minutes.
The Mavericks trailed by as many as nine points in the first quarter, largely because their turnover bug resurfaced. They had six giveaways in the first quarter.
Their rally came courtesy of their bench. Terry had 17 first-half points and Peja Stojakovic and Brendan Haywood — who did a nice job filling in for Chandler — also had solid contributions.
The Mavericks shot 60 percent in the first half and were only down, 54-52, at halftime.
Both teams seemed to know that the 24 minutes after halftime were going to determine whether this series was effectively over or whether it was going to be time to get the hard hats.
The Mavericks got a break when Aldridge knocked down a shot that cut the Mavericks’ lead to 57-56 less than three minutes into the third frame.
At the next timeout, which wasn’t until under three minutes remained in the quarter, the referees reviewed the shot and ruled that it came after the shot clock.
Even so, the Mavericks lost some momentum late in the quarter. Up 69-66, they were outscored 9-3 in the final 2:05 of the third to fall behind 75-72 going into the final 12 minutes.
Tough spots
Eddie Sefko ranks the toughest places to play in the NBA for visiting teams.
Team Comment
Utah Even when the Jazz is bad, the fans are good.
Denver Not the loudest place, but the altitude always is a factor.
Boston Lots of history and the ghosts seem to steal rebounds.
Golden State That fan base doesn’t need much to get wild and crazy.
Portland Loud and exuberant, they also usually keep things classy.
No comments:
Post a Comment