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Dallas (39-25) at Portland (40-23)
The Portland Trail Blazers are in the middle of the tightly packed Western Conference playoff race primarily because of their success at the Rose Garden. That usually dependable home-court advantage wasn’t enough the last time the Dallas Mavericks came to town.
In a matchup between teams battling for position in the West, the Blazers go for their 13th straight win at the Rose Garden on Wednesday night when they host the Mavericks, one of only five visiting teams to win in Portland this season.
Of the top nine teams competing for eight playoff spots in the West, Portland has the worst road record at 13-18. The Blazers, though, are fifth in the West and a half-game behind Northwest Division-leading Utah because of their 27-5 record at home.
The Blazers (40-23) have been particularly tough to beat in Portland lately, having won 12 straight there since a 104-98 loss to East-leading Cleveland on Jan. 21. They haven’t had a longer home winning streak since a 16-game run from Dec. 23, 1999-Feb. 27, 2000.
The Blazers kept their current streak alive Monday night, beating the conference-leading Los Angeles Lakers 111-94 behind 27 points, six rebounds and five assists from Brandon Roy.
“It was a great win,” said coach Nate McMillan, whose club led by as much as 30. “We beat the best team in the league. And at this time of the season, with so many teams jockeying for the playoffs, beating the Lakers makes it even a bigger win.”
McMillan wasn’t as excited after the Mavericks’ first trip to the Rose Garden on Christmas. Portland led by three midway through the fourth quarter, but Dallas (39-25) finished the game on a 15-4 run to take a 102-94 win.
Though they lost both their games in Portland last season, the Mavericks have won seven of nine there since Jan. 17, 2004.
Dallas, eighth in the West and 1 1/2 games behind Portland, had dropped five straight on the road before opening a four-game trip with a 122-117 win at Phoenix on Tuesday night.
“We haven’t won a road game it seems like in two months,” said forward Dirk Nowitzki, who scored 23 of his 34 points in the second half. “That’s how it feels. … We know we can beat anybody at home, but I think the good teams and the great teams find a way to win big games on the road. That was definitely a big game for us tonight.”
Despite its recent road struggles, Dallas has won six of eight overall to put pressure on the teams ahead of it in the postseason chase.
“Make no mistake, though,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “We’re trying to move up. We’re not just trying to hang in this thing. We’re trying to move up the seeding.”
So are the Blazers, winners of five of their last six. Portland, though, will probably have to resume its fight for position without one of its top bench players Wednesday.
Rookie guard Rudy Fernandez spent Monday night in the hospital with a bruised chest and injured right hip after a hard foul by the Lakers’ Trevor Ariza that led to a brief skirmish between the teams. He was released from the hospital Tuesday afternoon and is listed as doubtful to play against the Mavericks.
Dallas can complete a season series sweep with a win in this game. In addition to their previous victory in Portland, the Mavericks beat the Blazers 104-99 in Dallas on Feb. 4.
The Portland Trail Blazers are in the middle of the tightly packed Western Conference playoff race primarily because of their success at the Rose Garden. That usually dependable home-court advantage wasn’t enough the last time the Dallas Mavericks came to town.
In a matchup between teams battling for position in the West, the Blazers go for their 13th straight win at the Rose Garden on Wednesday night when they host the Mavericks, one of only five visiting teams to win in Portland this season.
Of the top nine teams competing for eight playoff spots in the West, Portland has the worst road record at 13-18. The Blazers, though, are fifth in the West and a half-game behind Northwest Division-leading Utah because of their 27-5 record at home.
The Blazers (40-23) have been particularly tough to beat in Portland lately, having won 12 straight there since a 104-98 loss to East-leading Cleveland on Jan. 21. They haven’t had a longer home winning streak since a 16-game run from Dec. 23, 1999-Feb. 27, 2000.
The Blazers kept their current streak alive Monday night, beating the conference-leading Los Angeles Lakers 111-94 behind 27 points, six rebounds and five assists from Brandon Roy.
“It was a great win,” said coach Nate McMillan, whose club led by as much as 30. “We beat the best team in the league. And at this time of the season, with so many teams jockeying for the playoffs, beating the Lakers makes it even a bigger win.”
McMillan wasn’t as excited after the Mavericks’ first trip to the Rose Garden on Christmas. Portland led by three midway through the fourth quarter, but Dallas (39-25) finished the game on a 15-4 run to take a 102-94 win.
Though they lost both their games in Portland last season, the Mavericks have won seven of nine there since Jan. 17, 2004.
Dallas, eighth in the West and 1 1/2 games behind Portland, had dropped five straight on the road before opening a four-game trip with a 122-117 win at Phoenix on Tuesday night.
“We haven’t won a road game it seems like in two months,” said forward Dirk Nowitzki, who scored 23 of his 34 points in the second half. “That’s how it feels. … We know we can beat anybody at home, but I think the good teams and the great teams find a way to win big games on the road. That was definitely a big game for us tonight.”
Despite its recent road struggles, Dallas has won six of eight overall to put pressure on the teams ahead of it in the postseason chase.
“Make no mistake, though,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “We’re trying to move up. We’re not just trying to hang in this thing. We’re trying to move up the seeding.”
So are the Blazers, winners of five of their last six. Portland, though, will probably have to resume its fight for position without one of its top bench players Wednesday.
Rookie guard Rudy Fernandez spent Monday night in the hospital with a bruised chest and injured right hip after a hard foul by the Lakers’ Trevor Ariza that led to a brief skirmish between the teams. He was released from the hospital Tuesday afternoon and is listed as doubtful to play against the Mavericks.
Dallas can complete a season series sweep with a win in this game. In addition to their previous victory in Portland, the Mavericks beat the Blazers 104-99 in Dallas on Feb. 4.
