Mavericks at Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers are one of the hottest teams in the NBA and they were hotter than lava with their shooting in their most recent contest. Portland looks to improve on its 17-3 start when it hosts the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday and will also aim for another torrid shooting outing after setting a franchise-record with 17 3-pointers in Friday’s trouncing of Utah. The Trail Blazers missed only six of their 23 attempts from behind the arc in the 130-98 victory.
Portland’s 17-3 start is the best for the franchise since opening 19-1 in 1990-91. Dallas has won two straight games and opened a four-game road swing with a 100-97 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday. The Mavericks committed just eight turnovers in the contest – their second-lowest total of the season. Dallas is just 3-6 on the road while the Trail Blazers are 9-1 in their home venue.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, NBATV, FSN Southwest (Dallas), KGW (Portland)
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (12-8): Veteran guard Vince Carter scored 15 points and made three 3-pointers against the Pelicans for his second-highest scoring output over the past 11 games. Carter has struggled with this shooting and had shot 40 percent or worse in nine of the previous 10 games before going 5-of-9 against New Orleans. “I tell you what – every time I shoot it, I shoot it like, ‘Hey, it’s going in,’” Carter said after the contest. “I think that’s what bothers me sometimes, because it doesn’t go in but I think it’s going to go in.”
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (17-3): Damian Lillard was 5-of-6 and Wesley Matthews was 4-of-6 in the impressive 3-point shooting barrage against Utah. Portland’s 73.9 percentage is the highest in NBA history when a team has made at least 15 3-pointers in a single game. “Our 3-point shooters are good 3-point shooters,” coach Terry Stotts said afterward. “That’s not surprising. Now you don’t expect to shoot that well, obviously, but more importantly our 3s are in rhythm. They’re good shots for the guys taking them.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Dallas has won four of the last five meetings.
2. Portland F LaMarcus Aldridge has posted three straight double-doubles and is averaging 28.7 points and 12.7 rebounds during the stretch.
3. Mavericks F/C Brandan Wright (shoulder) is on the road trip and could see his first action of the season sometime next week.