----- Damian Lillard scores 47 points, but it's not enough as the Dallas Mavericks outscore the Portland Trail Blazers 133-125 Thursday night at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.
Damian Lillard followed up his 61-point performance Monday with 47 points on Thursday night, but it's not enough as the Dallas Mavericks drop the Portland Trail Blazers 133-125 Thursday night at Moda Center.
The Mavericks opened the game on fire and never cooled off as they connected on 22 of their 47 three-point attempts to run past the Blazers.
Luka Doncic scored 27 points and dished out nine assists, Kristaps Porzingis finished with 20, and Seth Curry and Jalen Brunson combined to go 8-of-12 from three-point range.
The Blazers connected on a season-high 21 three-pointers. Lillard led the team with eight, and Gary Trent Jr. scored 20 points on 6-of-7 shooting from downtown.
Trevor Ariza made his Trail Blazers debut on Thursday night getting the start at small forward. He scored 21 points and pulled down seven rebounds while sinking four of his five shots from three-point range.
“I thought he was terrific,” Blazers Coach Terry Stotts said. “Obviously, the offense, he can make shots. I thought he gave a great effort defensively, he had a tough assignment. He’s a welcome addition. I think it’s obvious he knows how to play and he’s going to help us.”
The Mavericks opened the game on a tear. They scored 45 points in the first quarter building an eight-point lead and further added to their lead in the second thanks to the three-point line. Dallas connected on 13-of-29 from beyond the arc in the first half building a 78-63 lead.
Portland would respond in the third quarter. After a Doncic field goal extended the Mavericks' lead to 93-68, the Blazers exploded for a 17-0 run cutting the deficit to eight. Lillard powered the run with 11 points in just over two minutes, but Dallas recovered to close the quarter on a 10-5 run.
The Blazers never threatened in the fourth.
“We get down 25 in the third quarter and he almost single-handedly gets us back in the game,” Stotts said. “He’s done that before. I think when he does things like that, everybody believes something is possible. We came up short, but he kept putting us in a position to think that we had a chance to win the game. That’s what great players can do.”
Dallas Coach Rick Carlisle gave praise to Damian Lillard following the game.
“He had my vote (for the All-Star Game) before he went for 47 on us. What an amazing player. He is virtually impossible to stop. He has an iron will, he’s a great leader, and when he’s on the floor they’re hard to beat no matter what.”
Notes- Damian Lillard expressed frustration with the way the game was called by the officials in his post game interview. “I was driving in for a reverse layup and I got smacked on the head. I asked (the ref) why he didn’t call it and he said all three of us agreed you leaned into him. That’s an insult, man.”
Up Next- The Trail Blazers will host the Indiana Pacers on Sunday evening at Moda Center. The game is scheduled to tip off at 6:00 PM.
Chad's Take- Trevor Ariza not enough to help the Blazers' ailing defense.