Trail Blazers @ Mavericks Game Thread
Although the Trail Blazers had a comeback for the ages back on January 29th to stun the Mavericks at the buzzer, it was the post players for Portland which led the way. The Dallas duo of Darren Collison and OJ Mayo took control of the backcourt battle, combining to score 32 points, on 11-19 shooting, including 5-7 from 3 to go along with 18 assists, 11 rebounds, and 3 steals. While Damian Lillard and Wesley Matthews were able to chip in 27 total points of their own, their shooting wasn't as efficient only connecting on 8-26 shots from the field, including 5-15 from downtown. This matchup will be key to win if the Trail Blazers want to go 2-0 to start their six-game road trip. Dallas will be fired up for this one, especially the way the last one ended for them, so it'll be imperative for Wes to play tight defense on Mayo without getting into foul trouble and for Lillard to settle the offense down by either working the two-man game with Aldridge or finding ways to get himself open looks. The first 12 minutes of this one are vital.
So Rip City, what are your keys to victory?
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