Who’s Playing
Dallas @ Portland
Current Records: Dallas 24-19; Portland 19-22
What to Know
The Portland Trail Blazers haven’t won a matchup against the Dallas Mavericks since March 19 of 2021, but they’ll be looking to end the drought Saturday. Portland will look to defend their home court against Dallas at 10 p.m. ET. The Mavericks should still be feeling good after a win, while the Trail Blazers will be looking to right the ship.
Portland was within striking distance but couldn’t close the gap on Thursday as they fell 119-113 to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Point guard Damian Lillard did his best for Portland, finishing with 50 points (a whopping 44% of their total). Dame’s night made it three games in a row in which he has scored at least 30 points. Lillard’s points were the most he has had all season.
Meanwhile, it may have taken double overtime to finish the job, but Dallas ultimately got the result they were hoping for on Thursday with a 119-115 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Having forecasted a close win for the Mavericks, the oddsmakers were right on the money. They can attribute much of their success to point guard Luka Doncic, who dropped a triple-double on 35 points, 14 rebounds, and 13 dimes, and center Christian Wood, who posted a double-double on 24 points and 14 boards along with six assists. Doncic now has ten triple-doubles this year.
The Trail Blazers are now 19-22 while Dallas sits at 24-19. A pair of stats to keep an eye on: Portland enters the game with 21.7 fouls drawn per game on average, good for third best in the league. But the Mavericks are even better: they come into the contest boasting the most fouls drawn per game in the league at 22.7. Be prepared to get familiar with the officiating crew.
How To Watch
When: Saturday at 10 p.m. ET
Saturday at 10 p.m. ET Where: Moda Center at the Rose Quarter — Portland, Oregon
Moda Center at the Rose Quarter — Portland, Oregon TV: Bally Sports Southwest Plus
Bally Sports Southwest Plus Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.) Follow: CBS Sports App
CBS Sports App Ticket Cost: $29.54
Odds
The Trail Blazers are a slight 1.5-point favorite against the Mavericks, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 1.5-point spread, and stayed right there.
Over/Under: -110
See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
Dallas have won 15 out of their last 26 games against Portland.