GDT Mavs@Blazers: No Lamer, no LaMarcus, no Loss

[sefant77]

The Dallas Mavericks are catching a huge break in their pursuit of a playoff spot on this critical road trip.

The Mavericks have had plenty of trouble defending LaMarcus Aldridge over the last two seasons, but won’t have to deal with the injured Portland Trail Blazers star in Friday night’s matchup.

Portland (28-31) announced Thursday that Aldridge will have surgery on his right hip and miss the rest of the season. The first-time All-Star averaged 21.7 points and 8.0 rebounds this season while shooting a career-high 51.2 percent.

“I’m very disappointed,” Aldridge said. “I feel we have a really good group of guys here. I feel we’re starting to find a really good rhythm together. So it’s definitely hard to do right now.”

Not including playoffs, Aldridge is averaging 28.2 points against the Mavericks (33-26) over the last two seasons to lead all players, shooting 51.1 percent and averaging 10.0 rebounds in six meetings. Most recently, the Dallas native capped a 25-point, 12-rebound effort with the game-winning 17-footer at the overtime buzzer in last Friday’s 99-97 road win over the Mavericks.

These teams also went past regulation in their first 2011-12 meeting Feb. 11, when Delonte West scored six of his 10 points in the second overtime in a 97-94 home win for Dallas.

The Mavericks are visiting Portland for the first time since Game 6 of last year’s first-round playoff series, in which Dirk Nowitzki had 33 points and 11 rebounds as Dallas won 103-96 to eliminate the Trail Blazers.

Dallas moved into sixth place in the Western Conference standings by opening a four-game, five-day trip with Thursday’s 112-103 victory at Golden State. Nowitzki scored 27 points and Jason Kidd barely missed a triple-double with 12 assists, 10 rebounds and nine points.

“It’s the kind of pressure that you like,” said coach Rick Carlisle about trying to reach the postseason. “It brings you to higher levels and we embrace it. We embraced it last year in the playoffs and it got us a ring.”

The Mavs got 57 points Thursday from their reserves, with Jason Terry and Brandan Wright each scoring 16 as the team continues to adjust after parting ways with Lamar Odom earlier this week.

“It’s going to take us some time but we feel we can compete with the best,” Kidd said.

The Blazers are also entering off a victory over the lowly Warriors, 118-110 on Wednesday. Jamal Crawford scored a season-high 34 points and J.J. Hickson added 23 and 13 rebounds.

“I envisioned more nights like this when I first came here, but everything happens for a reason and better late than never,” said Crawford, who joined Portland as a free agent before this season.

Hickson, inserted into the lineup for Aldridge, is averaging 22.3 points on 63.0 percent shooting and 11.7 rebounds in three starts since the Blazers signed him March 21.

Portland is 4 1/2 games out of the West’s final playoff spot with seven games left.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview;...gid=2012041322

And the usual Blazersedge: http://www.blazersedge.com/

[Underdog]

This should be a decidedly easier task without Aldridge...

[MavsWiLLHaVeRinGs]

If not for 3 or 4 buzzard beaters (including the last one against Portland in OT) we'd be around a 3 or 4 seed right now.

[nowhereman]

Originally Posted by MavsWiLLHaVeRinGs

If not for 3 or 4 buzzard beaters (including the last one against Portland in OT) we'd be around a 3 or 4 seed right now.

They haven't really played well enough to win all those games though - better versions of this team wouldn't have let the game come down to the buzzer. Even e.g. the loss against OKC on the Durant 3, we had a bunch of crucial turnovers and let them get some offensive rebounds. It's more alarming to me that they haven't played that well rather than whether they won or lost.

Oh, and also:

[mavs777]

Felton has been playing a lot better for Portland of late (contract year) guard him well! Would be nice to see mavs offense playing well again

[4Dirk1Nowitzki]

Another must win, let's get this W.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Wright and Roddy better be bringin' it again against a young Portland team.

Go Mavs!

[fluid.forty.one]

go mavs

[dude1394]

F'em

[Kante]

Just win this game, much needed!

[CapitanObvious]

A win for the Mavs.

[xrobx]

we will win this game. I can just FEEL it.

[4DN1]

J Kidd is out for a scheduled rest

[clutch#41]

dont understand why kidd is getting a rest when we're still fighting for playoff position!! if we loose this game, alot of people will be furious!!

[4DN1]

Originally Posted by clutch#41

dont understand why kidd is getting a rest when we're still fighting for playoff position!! if we loose this game, alot of people will be furious!!

Bad timing in my opinion, I know we play LAL next and we need Kidd to be fresh but personally i think it'd be better to rest him during the Jazz, Rockets, and Warriors stretch after LAL.

Not all 3 games, but within that time frame.

[GhostFace]

LaMarcus Aldridge out? That freaking blows. I was really hoping for a straight up rematch with these clowns.

[some1nw]

i dont understand why kidd is out for rest. If i were RC id still have him on the bench just in case

[GhostFace]

Originally Posted by some1nw

i dont understand why kidd is out for rest. If i were RC id still have him on the bench just in case

I agree with you. I would not play him nearly as much, very limited tonight, but still keep him out there so he still in the mix so to say for the Laker game. Tonight is Roddy's night to establish that attack mode mentality in order to prepare for the Lakers.

[4DN1]

J Kidd gets night off

[4Dirk1Nowitzki]

Wow no Kidd tonight? He better be knocking down his threes vs the Lakers Sunday.

[some1nw]

i cant watch the game becuz of this suns@rockets game

[GhostFace]

Originally Posted by some1nw

i cant watch the game becuz of this suns@rockets game

Same here, but that game just ended.

LETSSS GOOOOOOO MAVSSSSSSSSSS!

[41N]

i love how the crowd reacts to dirks fadeaway bank shots...hilarious

[GhostFace]

DIRK BABY!

[some1nw]

man, i hate it when haywood does it

[GhostFace]

Wood's shot just looks ugly. That man should not be allowed to shoot, ever.

[Bayliss]

Mullin is so refreshing to listen to compared to the other crap on ESPN.

[DMOC]

Great start!

[GhostFace]

COME ON MARION. PAY ATTENTION. OF COURSE THEY ARE GONNA TRY AND PICK YOUR POCKETS. FFS.

[Bayliss]

Never understand why Marion feels the need to try and dribble the ball up the court in traffic when there are guards on the team.

His handles are worse than Finley's......

[some1nw]

the mavs wasting so much time just for terry to get a shot off

[41N]

lets see if azu gets some playing time 2night

[GhostFace]

Very nice feed by West.

[GhostFace]

JET your PULL UP's NEVER GO IN. LEARN PLEASE.

Also on that 1st of the your 2 shots, you had a wide open shot and passed up to Matrix who was in NO position to make shot let alone a move.

[some1nw]

terry should keep it cool, no need to force

[adonis]

Jet stop chucking

[Jon Avalon]

Jet clank

.....Jet again.....clank

Jet AGAIN!......clank

[sefant77]

Thabuuuuuuuuuust

[FINtastic]

Heck of a finish by Wright there.

[adonis]

What a nice quarter except for Terry's continuation of the pull up jumper