NBA NOTES -Title gives Dallas a reason to cheer

The Dallas Mavericks returned home in triumph Monday, cheered by hundreds of fans celebrating the franchise's first NBA title and the first professional championship of any type in the area in more than a decade. Owner Mark Cuban walked off the plane at Love Field carrying the championship trophy he was handed after Sunday's Game 6 win over the Miami Heat. Next came forward Dirk Nowitzki with hardware of his own: the NBA Finals MVP trophy that was awarded after he overcame a finger injury,

illness and smothering defense from the Heat to power fourth-quarter comeback wins. Cuban, the Dallas billionaire who bought the team in 2000, had the championship trophy in a seat next to him on the plane, and he apparently kept it close throughout the Sunday night celebration. "This will sound weird," he wrote on Twitter. "I'm laying in bed. With the trophy next (to) me." Cuban will keep the party going at least through Thursday morning, the date set for the team's victory parade through the streets of downtown Dallas. Cuban has said that he will pick up the tab for the city's parade costs. The championship is the first in the 31-year history of the Mavericks and the city's first since the Dallas Stars won the Stanley Cup in 1999. And it comes four months after the Super Bowl in suburban Arlington included not the hometown Cowboys but Green Bay and Pittsburgh along with a spate of bad weather. The Texas Rangers advanced to the last World Series, but lost to the Giants. Cho to Charlotte: The Bobcats have hired former Portland general manager Rich Cho for the same job and are promoting Rod Higgins to president of basketball operations. Cho, who was fired by the Trail Blazers three weeks ago, will assist Higgins and owner Michael Jordan in the operations of a franchise that has made the playoffs once in seven seasons. Cho became the NBA's first Asian American GM last year when he was hired away from Oklahoma City's front office. Newspaper's turnover: The Mavericks' win over the Heat is a huge upset for fans in Miami. Making matters worse, an ad in the local paper mistakenly congratulated the Heat on winning. A full-page ad that ran in Monday's Miami Herald reads "Congratulations Miami" next to photos of Heat championship T-shirts and hats from Macy's. The newspaper issued a correction and an apology, and a Macy's spokeswoman called it an unfortunate error.

Mavs beat the Heat to win NBA championship(Video)

One of the many storylines in the NBA Finals won by the Dallas Mavericks Sunday night was Terry's bold tattoo. Terry said he had the Larry O'Brien championship trophy tattooed on his right bicep before the season began because he was confident the Mavs would clinch the title. Losing would've been painful for Terry, literally, as he said he would have the tattoo removed. The 105-95 victory was sweet for many Mavericks, especially Terry, who led the team in scoring with 27 points. "When you did something as crazy

as I did, you have to back it up," Terry said, showing his tattoo to the television cameras. "This team never gave up when faced with adversity. We never gave up. Tonight we got vindication." The Mavs used furious scoring barrages by Terry and weathered an uneven game by star forward Dirk Nowitzki to win the game. "I still really can't believe it. The team worked so long and so hard. The team deserves this. The Mavs nation deserves this," Nowitzki said. "I could not get in a rhythm today but the team carried me to this win." Despite a poor shooting night Nowitzki still had 21 points. The Mavs held a slim 53-51 lead at halftime and was able to grow the lead. They led by 9 at the end of the third quarter. They pulled away in the fourth quarter helped by Miami's sloppy play and turnovers. The loss was devastating for Miami, a team that seemed to be put together for a championship. Before the season the Heat added perennial all-star forward Chris Bosh and superstar forward LeBron James to a team that was headed by talented guard Dwayne Wade. The win earns the first championship for star power forward Nowitzki. It also means his Mavericks avenged their crushing loss against the Heat in the 2006 NBA Finals.

Heat's 88-86 victory over Mavericks is full-groan

The Miami Heat couldn't quite pull off another fade in the NBA Finals. Rejoice, South Beach. Cheers, Fort Lauderdale. And before excitedly dropping that mojito on the marble-tile floor, understand that everybody else in the country wanted to see Dallas win Game 3 on Sunday. Nothing personal. But nobody likes to see a team drop down to a stunningly low two players under contract before building back up with a brief live-on-ESPN joint announcement by Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade,

followed a day later by the "The Decision." There was little joy from Maine to San Diego after the Heat took a 2-1 series lead with an 88-86 victory Sunday. The Mavericks tried just about everything. There were pre-recorded scoreboard declarations that "The Time is Now" from Dallas sports luminaries Emmitt Smith and Troy Aikman, not to mention Mike Modano. (He used to play for the Dallas Stars. That's a hockey team.) But the time was now for the Heat, which guaranteed itself a return trip to Miami . . . if necessary. The scoreboard also offered a video montage of the Mavericks scoring on the Lakers, along with the phrases, "They said the Mavericks were soft. They said 'The Champs' would beat us down. This year is different." Not really. Not yet. The Mavericks have never won an NBA title since entering the league in 1980. It hasn't stopped them from hanging banners from the high-up girders at American Airlines Center — Midwest Division champions in 1987, Western Conference winners in 2006, Southwest Division champs in 2007 and 2010. Yay. There's more bad news for the psyche of basketball fans. The last 11 times the Finals were tied at 1-1, the winner of Game 3 ended up holding a championship parade. The Lakers' chances at a fiesta on Figueroa died a few weeks ago, but somebody needs to ask a few questions of alleged Lakers fan George Lopez, who stood near his courtside seat during the excitement of a Mavericks third-quarter rally. Somewhere, Kobe Bryant is shaking his head. Dirk Nowiztki wasn't happy either after Game 3, blandly intoning into a microphone that it was a "very tough loss" after a pair of his late-game blunders cost Dallas dearly. He threw the ball away with 30.2 seconds to play after unexpectedly finding himself in a double team. Then he missed a 16-footer at the final buzzer. LeBron James wasn't much better in the fourth quarter, scoring only two points. He did not, however, like being challenged by a reporter for "shrinking" away from the chance at fourth-quarter prowess. "You should watch the film again and see what I did defensively," James said. "You'll ask me a better question tomorrow." Wade was there to support James, scoring 29 points and taking 11 rebounds. Bosh was there too, eventually shaking off a poor shooting night by hitting a 16-footer from the left side to break an 86-86 tie with 39.6 seconds to play. About the only thing the Mavericks could pocket was the ability to slice into any Miami lead. Dallas fought back from a 14-point deficit in the second quarter, then a 13-point deficit in the third quarter. Small victories, but the only ones the Mavericks could celebrate after Game 3. Showing some transcontinental unity, a Dallas fan's sign implored the Mavericks to "Do it for Cleveland!"

Strong three-point shooting sparks Miami Heat

That’s five in a row for the Heat against the Mavericks in the NBA Finals. The Heat won four in a row against Dallas to win the 2006 Finals. Five years later, the Heat began the rematch with a 92-84 victory on Tuesday at AmericanAirlines Arena to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-7 series. The Heat is 9-0 at home this postseason and plays again at AmericanAirlines Arena on Thursday before traveling to Dallas for Games 3, 4 and 5 of the 2011 Finals. After struggling against the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference finals,

Dwyane Wade returned to his more familiar postseason form Tuesday. He had 22 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in his first NBA Finals game since winning the 2006 Finals MVP. Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavericks with 27 points on 7-of-18 shooting. Wade’s fifth assist of the night led to a dunk by Chris Bosh with 1:08 to play to give the Heat a 10-point lead. Assist No. 6 for Wade came less than a minute later when he found LeBron James for an alley-oop. James, who needs three more victories for his first NBA championship, screamed to the crowd and slammed his left fist against his chest. He scored a team-high 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting. Wade put the Heat ahead by nine points with 3:06 to play when he swished his second three-pointer of the game. Moments earlier, Wade blocked Shawn Marion’s midrange attempt to trigger a fast break. Wade’s three in transition was the Heat’s 11th of the game. Entering the Finals, conventional wisdom said the Mavericks’ stable of sharpshooters gave Dallas a distinct advantage from three-point range. That was not the case in Game 1. The Heat was 45.8 percent from three-point range compared to 40.9 percent for the Mavericks. James’ first exclamation point on the 1-0 Finals lead came after a powerful crossover against Shawn Marion. James followed with a driving dunk and was fouled by Marion. He converted the free throw to give the Heat an 85-75 lead with 2:48 to play. With three seven-footers in its rotation, Dallas entered Tuesday’s series opener with plans of dominating the glass. Instead, the shorter and quicker Eastern Conference champions consistently beat the Mavericks to loose balls and missed shots. Miami outrebounded Dallas 46-36, including 16 in offensive rebounds. Dallas had six. Mike Miller, playing with a protective sleeve over his left arm, pulled down a key offensive rebound with less than seven minutes in the game. The second-chance situation gave Udonis Haslem a clear path to the rim, which he converted into a three-point play to put the Heat ahead by six points with 6:36 to play. Haslem finished with seven points and six rebounds in 28 minutes. The Heat trailed the entire third quarter until James drained a three-pointer from the top of the key with 1:09 left in the period. The shot gave the Heat a 60-59 lead after trailing by nine points early the second half. Dallas began the third quarter with a 7-0 run to take a 51-43 lead. Juwan Howard, who returned to the postseason rotation to play important minutes against the Mavs’ large frontcourt, made a pair of free throws with 32.1 seconds left in the third quarter, setting the stage for James’ buzzer-beating skills. Howard logged eight minutes Tuesday and had three rebounds. James has performed well in the clutch throughout the playoffs and did so again at the end of the quarter when he nailed a turnaround three-pointer with time expiring to give the Heat a four-point lead to begin the fourth quarter. James was 3-of-3 shooting from three-point range in the third quarter, which was the continuation of a trend for the Heat. The first 36 minutes of Game 1 offered one of Miami’s best three-point shooting efforts of the postseason (9 of 21 for 42.9 percent). James entered the fourth quarter 4 of 4 from behind the arc, and reserve Mario Chalmers went 3 of 3 from that distance in the second quarter. Miller made his second three-pointer of the game to begin the Heat’s fourth quarter scoring. It gave the Heat a 68-63 lead with 11 minutes to play. It was just enough of a cushion to hold off the Mavericks, who cut the Heat’s lead to three points with less than four minutes remaining but never got any closer.

Jackson is moving on

Phil Jackson imagines himself exploring the southern tropics next winter, or maybe circumnavigating the globe on a motorcycle. The Lakers’ retiring coach doesn’t imagine returning to an NBA bench. At least not right now.

Jackson informally wrapped up his tenure with the team yesterday, three days after the two-time defending champions were swept out of the playoffs by the Mavericks. The Lakers have no plans to replace him imminently, but Jackson left only the slightest doubt he’s done with what’s likely the last chapter of his unmatched career.

The awful ending to the season did nothing to change the 11-time champion coach’s mind about his future. Although he still loves basketball, Jackson wants to get on with the life he imagined as a boy growing up in North Dakota.

“I have no plans to return,’’ the 65-year-old Jackson said in an emotionless news conference at the Lakers’ training complex. “Today, I’m sure. What it’s going to be like in six months, I’m not sure.’’

Jackson’s equivocation could keep the rumor mills turning for several more years, but the coach clearly relishes the prospect of his extended break from the NBA grind.

Jackson said there’s a point in a coach’s life at which “you either move on or stay in it, you never break away from it, and it becomes the rest of your life. I always thought I’d like to do something beyond just the basketball coaching.’’

Jackson made it clear he wishes he had left the Lakers last summer, fresh from the glow of his 11th championship after a Game 7 victory over the Celtics. Instead, he reluctantly returned at the behest of the Buss family and his players to go after an unprecedented fourth three-peat in his coaching career.

But the Lakers never got it together during his curtain call, foundering through long stretches of a 57-win regular season and struggling in the first round of the playoffs before the Mavericks blasted them in four straight games.

“Talent wins, and when you have talent to coach, it makes all the difference in the world,’’ said Jackson, a 1,155-game winner whose career .704 winning percentage is the best in NBA history. “I’ve coached some of the best talent that’s ever played the game.’’

Yet Jackson acknowledges he never really reached his amply talented final team, which appeared exhausted or just plain uninterested in another championship run.

“This team just had an ability to get into a funk and not [get out of it],’’ Jackson said. “I never really had a team like that, that couldn’t make adjustments and learn from mistakes.’’

Kobe Bryant also checked out of the Lakers’ training complex yesterday, defining the season as “a wasted year of my life."

For a team that knows its season could be one-and-done, the Hawks are still feeling quite confident about their chances in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Their mantra: Just take it to Game 7.

“If we get this win,’’ Jeff Teague said, referring to tonight against the Bulls, “I think there’s a good chance we’ll get Game 7. I feel like there would be a lot of pressure on them playing at home in Game 7.’’

Of course, there’s that little matter to take care of in Atlanta. Game 6, with no room for error.

For the first time in this postseason, the underdog Hawks are one loss away from going on vacation. They’ve played three competitive games on the road, winning the series opener and putting the Bulls on the ropes Tuesday night.

But led by MVP Derrick Rose and backup Taj Gibson, the top-seeded team in the East pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 95-83 victory and a 3-2 lead in the series.

The Bulls sound confident, too, as well they should. Just one more win will send them to the conference finals for the first time since 1998.

“No matter the situation, down or up, we believe,’’ Carlos Boozer said. “They’re a good team. There aren’t going to be too many times in the playoffs when you blow a team out. In the course of a game there are going to be waves . . . This is two very good teams battling things out.’’

Traylor found dead Robert Traylor, the former NBA and University of Michigan big man nicknamed “Tractor’’ because of his hulking frame, has died. He was 34. Police in San Juan, Puerto Rico, said Traylor was found dead yesterday on the bedroom floor of his oceanfront apartment. Police and Traylor’s team, the Bayamon Cowboys, said he had been missing for a few days and apparently died from a heart attack. Perez said Traylor’s survivors include his wife and two sons . . . Mavericks guard J.J. Barea says he doesn’t hold any animosity toward Lakers center Andrew Bynum after their ugly collision. Bynum elbowed Barea in the chest while the guard was in the air for a layup in Game 4 of their playoff series. He hit the floor hard, Bynum was ejected, and on Tuesday was suspended for the first five games of next season. Barea says he has a bruise on his ribs and another on his left hand. He said yesterday that he received an apologetic message from Bynum that he considers sincere. He didn’t return the call because he didn’t think it was necessary. Barea said: “He just had a big mistake. People have those sometimes. He lost his mind and he fouled me pretty hard. I know he regrets it.'

James is starting to own these playoffs

As LeBron James plotted and schemed to find his destination as an NBA free agent last summer, his execution couldn't have been worse. A decent, good-hearted man, he managed to alienate every sports fan who values the concepts of respect and humility.

Still, the man had a dream, and it was realized Monday night in Boston. Miami doesn't have its berth in the Eastern Conference finals, not yet, but Game 4 against the Celtics represented the essence of James' vision.

The fact that it happened in Boston - a 98-90 overtime win giving Miami a 3-1 series lead - was indescribably important. That's where LeBron's Cleveland Cavaliers came up empty, time after time, and there were those who questioned whether James could ever have an impact in that building.

He had more than impact Monday night. He owned the place. As much as Dwyane Wade was brilliant (28 points) and Chris Bosh was invaluable (20 points, 12 rebounds), LeBron had a 20-point first half that served as a formidable, ominous answer to the inspired play of Rajon Rondo.

Against most teams, with Rondo fighting off the pain of a dislocated elbow and contributing in every conceivable way, the Celtics would have taken a massive lead on the strength of pure emotion. It was James, methodically scoring both inside and out, who kept the first half close (53-50, Boston) and didn't let up, finishing with a game-high 35 points.

Let's take a moment to marvel at Rondo's performance. He wore such a stoic look, denying the Heat even a glimpse of his torment, you wondered if he'd somehow crafted a miraculous recovery. He brazenly dribbled with the left hand, used that shattered left arm to deflect a pass, picked himself off the floor after a couple of brutal spills, even threw a sweet lefty dish that set up a couple of Kevin Garnett free throws.

But the pain was killing Rondo. It had to be, and most the Celtics had admitted during the off-day workout that they'd stopped trying to figure him out. "If everybody's going to wear white, Rondo's going to wear green," said Ray Allen. "He's a ... I don't even know how to explain him."

Sometimes, no words are necessary. And here's one thing that isn't such a mystery (although the TNT television crew didn't mention it): Even at his best, Rondo virtually never shoots with his left hand. He'll go out of his way to use the right, and we saw a number of those occasions Monday night - including, regrettably, a wide-open layup that Rondo missed from the left side with 1:12 left in the game - a shot that, if made, might have prevented overtime.

In their own way, far more subtle, the Heat stirred up plenty of motivation. The old master, team President Pat Riley, spoke privately with his players after Sunday's shoot-around, all about history and respect for the game and what it's like to contest a huge game in Boston. "Pat's been through this," said LeBron, referring to Riley's fabulous coaching career with the Lakers. "He's seen everything there is to know about."

Then there was the first-half appearance of Udonis Haslem, a forgotten man on the Heat's roster after sitting out six months with a torn ligament in his left foot. Haslem was raised in Miami, a rough part of town, and as a member of the Heat's 2006 championship team, he truly understood what it meant to the city. When the Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks came after Haslem on last summer's free-agent market, offering far more than the Heat could afford, the "Big Three" - James, Wade and Bosh - each cut millions off their salaries to make sure he stayed.

"They all said, 'I'm in' without hesitation," Haslem said. "No questions asked. They respected me as a player, trusted me as a leader and friend. I told them, 'Thank you. You didn't make a mistake. I won't let you down.' "

Haslem played only three minutes Monday night, leaving the floor in frustration after two quick fouls, but wait until his name is called in Miami during Wednesday night's Game 5. That will be a high-energy moment rivaling any we've seen during this remarkable set of playoff series.

The Celtics will have serious regrets about Game 4. They hated to place so much responsibility on Delonte West, especially with a badly injured shoulder. They watched Garnett virtually disappear on offense, going 1-for-10 from the floor. But Miami's defense was the hidden story of this game, a suffocating brand of team-wide desire that made the matadorish Lakers (against Dallas) look pathetic in comparison.

In the end, James headed toward the locker room wearing a look of immense satisfaction. This is what he meant, so many months ago, even if the proper words failed him. The true story gets told on the floor.

NBA playoffs: Thunder outlast Grizzlies in three overtimes; Heat go up 3-1 on Celtics. B2

Mavs sweep, Lakers' Jackson exits

Phil Jackson walked off the court with a tight smile, shaking hands and accepting congratulations as he has after so many series-ending playoff games.

Never like this, though.

His team didn't win; it was crushed, swept.

And he wasn't just heading to the offseason - he's calling it a career, ending the most successful run by any coach in NBA history.

Jason Terry and the Dallas Mavericks ended Jackson's tenure, and the Los Angeles Lakers' reign as two-time champions, with a 122-86 victory Sunday. After two tight finishes and another game that was relatively close, the Mavs turned this one into a rout in the second quarter.

With Terry leading the way, Dallas hit a barrage of three-pointers to go ahead by 24 points at halftime. When Terry made treys on consecutive possessions early in the third quarter, Los Angeles knew it wasn't going to come back in this game or the series.

Things got ugly early in the fourth quarter, with vicious, frustration-fueled cheap shots by Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum getting them ejected 45 seconds apart. But at game's end, Dallas coaches, players and team owner Mark Cuban lined up to bid farewell to the coach they call the Zen Master.

"It's been a wonderful run," Jackson said.

The 65-year-old Jackson has retired before, but he insists it's for good this time. While he goes out with the sour taste of his first sweep in 21 postseasons, and his second-widest margin of defeat, it can't override all the sweet days.

A Hall of Famer since 2007, he leaves with a record 11 titles, and only 10 series losses. Take away Red Auerbach, who won nine championships, and Jackson won more titles than any two coaches combined. He won six championships with Michael Jordan, three with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, and the last two with Bryant leading the way.

"I grew up under him" Bryant said. "The way I approach things, the way I think about things - not only basketball, life in general - comes from him. It's a little weird for me to think of what next year is going to be like."

Assistant Brian Shaw, a former Lakers player, is considered likely to take over.

"We all know they always come back and get themselves back in the race," Jackson said. "The Lakers are going to survive."

For Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs, clearing this hurdle sets them up for a chance to redeem themselves for flopping during the 2006 NBA Finals and for flaming out in every postseason since.

"The job is not finished," said Terry, who tied a playoff record with nine three-pointers. Dallas matched NBA postseason marks with 11 treys in the first half and 20 for the game.

"We've been doing it by committee all year long," said Nowitzki, who scored 17 points, his fewest this postseason.

Nowitzki was still in the game in the fourth quarter and took the blindside blow that led to Odom's ejection. Then J.J. Barea took a Bynum elbow after releasing a layup. Fans threw things toward the court as Bynum took off his jersey and was escorted to the locker room by Ron Artest.

Lakers on the ropes against Mavericks after 93-81 loss

First there was disbelief. Then came the anger.

Neither emotion had appeared much at Staples Center in recent years, but they each made up for lost time Wednesday, as boos followed Pau Gasol around the court and the Lakers staggered stunningly close to an early playoff flameout.

Lakers fans turned their backs on their team with two minutes to play, heading for the exits for possibly the last time at home in the Phil Jackson era.

Those that stayed until the smoldering end looked up at the scoreboard, took in the Lakers' 93-81 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, and donated more boos.

The Mavericks lead the Western Conference semifinals, 2-0, and they're headed home for Games 3 and 4 in the best-of-seven series.

The Lakers lost the first two games of a series 19 times since moving to Los Angeles and came back to win it only once, in the 1969 West semifinals against Golden State.

Somewhere, Mark Cuban is smiling. Actually, he was behind the Mavericks' bench, smiling.

Where to begin? With Gasol, for sure.

He continued his wilted postseason with 13 points and 10 rebounds, making five of 12 shots and three of six from the free-throw line.

The third quarter, when the Lakers scored only 13 points, marked a new low for him. Lakers fans let him have it.

DeShawn Stevenson blocked his shot from behind, and then Gasol missed badly on a mid-range jumper up top, leading to a host of boos.

This was the guy with 19 points and 18 rebounds in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against Boston? The one who reinvigorated a franchise after being acquired from Memphis? The player who was the 1B to Kobe Bryant's 1A on two championship runs?

Yes, yes and yes.

Jackson said there were "weird things" and "gremlins" in Gasol's game.

"Wish I could have been more productive," Gasol said. "Wish I could have been more effective. Some plays I should have finished better, but I tried my best."

With Gasol a non-factor and atrocious three-point shooting , the Lakers had few options beyond Bryant and Andrew Bynum. Bryant had 23 points on nine-for-20 shooting. Bynum had 18 points and 13 rebounds.

Bynum apparently wanted the ball more often, ominously referring to "trust issues." He made eight of 11 shots.

"We have to come out and discuss them or things won't change," Bynum said. "It's quite obvious if you watch the game. Hesitation on passes, defensively not being there for a teammate because he wasn't there for you before. Little things."

The Lakers made only two of 20 three-point tries. Steve Blake was 0 for 5, all from long distance.

We've been playing with fire for the last three years, dropping games on our own home floor," Bryant said. "We finally got what we deserved. Dropped two."

The Lakers couldn't even lament a lost 16-point lead. Their biggest edge in Game 2 was only four points.

"I plan on flogging them [Thursday]," Jackson said.

The only memorable part of Ron Artest's night was getting ejected after picking up his second technical foul with 24.4 seconds left. In a play that will be carefully reviewed by the NBA office, Artest smacked Jose Barea across the face with his forearm as the diminutive guard dribbled upcourt.

Jackson acknowledged there was a "good chance" Artest would be suspended.

Meanwhile, Dirk Nowitzki continued to drill holes in the Lakers, scoring 24 points on nine-for-16 shooting.

"Dirk's one of the hardest guys to guard in the history of basketball," Dallas Coach Rick Carlisle said.

Jackson has been chronologically working his way through his championship ring collection, wearing a different one each game. On Wednesday, he put on the one from 2000, his first title with the Lakers.

At this rate, he might not even get past the 2002 ring.

Bryant tried to sound optimistic.

"If you want to make history," he said, "you have to do historic things."

NBA Playoffs: Roy Lifts Blazers to Game 4 Comeback

As comebacks go, this one was epic.

In more ways than one.

Brandon Roy(notes) bounced back from a rough start to Portland's first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks with 24 points, and the Trail Blazers rallied from a 23-point third-quarter deficit to tie the series at two games apiece with a thrilling 84-82 victory over the Mavs on Saturday in Portland.

The series shifts back to Dallas for Game 5, which tips off at 8:30 p.m. EDT on Monday, April 25.

Portland's shooting was miserable in the third quarter, as the Blazers failed to hit a field goal until LaMarcus Aldridge(notes) connected on a hook shot with 1:31 left.

Portland trailed 67-44 after Peja Stojakovic's(notes) 3-pointer with 1:15 left in the third, but the Blazers cut the deficit to 18 entering the fourth, Roy's 3-pointer with 1 second left in the quarter making the score 67-49.

Roy was just getting started at that point.

The guard, who struggled mightily in the first two games of the series and voiced his frustration after playing less than eight minutes in Game 2, scored 18 points in the fourth quarter to lead Portland's comeback.

Roy scored Portland's final eight points of the game, converting a 4-point play after he was fouled by Shawn Marion(notes) on a 3-pointer with 1:06 remaining. He hit the free throw to tie the score at 82, and after Jason Terry(notes) missed a 3-point attempt at the other end, Roy drove to the hoop, pulled up over Marion and banked in a shot off the glass from just inside the free-throw line for the game-winning basket with 39.2 seconds left.

Jason Kidd(notes) and Terry each had 3-point attempts for Dallas in the final 30 seconds, Terry's shot at the buzzer just missing to preserve the win for Portland.

After Terry's miss, Roy was swarmed by his teammates and cheered loudly by the Rose Garden crowd. He's battled an up-and-down stretch since returning to the team on February 23 after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on both knees in January, his struggles coming to a head after Game 2 in Dallas, when Roy logged less than eight minutes of playing time and went 0-for-1 from the field and 0-for-2 from the free-throw line in the Mavericks' 101-89 victory.

A frustrated Roy said afterward he was hurt and disappointed over not being used more in the game. The next day, he apologized to teammates for putting himself ahead of the team, and Roy went out and scored 16 points in 24 minutes off the bench to help Portland win Game 3, 97-92.

If his performance in Game 3 seemed to be a comeback of sorts for Roy, it was nothing compared with what he did in Game 4.

Roy's late outburst Saturday helped the Blazers become just the third team since the shot clock was introduced in 1954 to win a playoff game after trailing by 18 points or more entering the fourth quarter.

The Blazers had hit just three field goals in the third quarter, as Dallas took what appeared to be an insurmountable lead by starting the second half with a 27-6 run. The Rose Garden crowd, loud and boisterous throughout the first half, was virtually silent at that point, but after missing their first 15 field-goal attempts and scoring just seven points in the first 10:30 of the quarter, the Blazers tallied seven more points in the final 1:30, showing a little bit of life heading into the fourth.

A 10-2 Portland run got the Blazers within nine at 75-66 with 5:39 remaining, and after a pair of Dirk Nowitzki(notes) free throws, Portland rattled off a 12-2 run to make it 80-78 Dallas with 1:36 left on a jump shot by Roy.

Marion scored at the other end to put the Mavericks back up by four at 82-78, then Roy scored the game's final six points to give Portland the victory.

Roy went 9-for-13 from the field, and also had four rebounds and five assists for the Blazers. After going a combined 1-for-8 from the field in the first two games of the series, Roy has hit 65 percent (15-for-23) from the field combined in Games 3 and 4.

Aldridge had 18 points, Andre Miller(notes) scored 14 and Gerald Wallace(notes) had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Nowitzki led Dallas with 20 points, as the Mavericks went 10-for-10 from the free-throw line compared with 22-for-23 by the Blazers. Terry had 13 points and Marion 12 for the Mavs.

(3) Dallas Mavericks vs. (6) Portland Trail Blazers

(All times Eastern)

Game 1: Dallas 89, Portland 81

Game 2: Dallas 101, Portland 89

Game 3: Portland 97, Dallas 92

Game 4: Portland 84, Dallas 82

Game 5: Monday, April 25 — Portland at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. (NBA TV)

Game 6: Thursday, April 28 — Dallas at Portland, 10 p.m.

Game 7: Saturday, April 30 — Portland at Dallas*, TBD

Mavs can't answer Blazers' 4th-quarter surge in 97-92 Game 3 loss

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.