Blazers intent on improving playoff position in matchup vs. reeling Mavericks
The Portland Trail Blazers already have clinched a postseason berth for the first time in five seasons, even if it's just a spot in the play-in tournament.
Interim coach Tiago Splitter and his team want much more than that, however.
After winning five of its last six games to get back to .500 for the first time in over two months, Portland (37-37) will host the reeling Dallas Mavericks (23-50) on Friday night.
The Blazers have won two straight games and four of their last five at the Moda Center. Four different players have led the team in scoring over the past four games overall for Portland, which resides a half-game behind the Los Angeles Clippers in the chase for eighth place in the Western Conference.
"The mentality now is ... we have a special thing going on to finish this season here," Splitter said. "We are in a good spot where we gotta take care at home here, win these games."
Scoot Henderson scored a team-high 23 points off the bench as Portland coasted to a 130-99 triumph over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. It was the Blazers' second win this week by at least 30 points.
Deni Avdija and Jerami Grant each scored 18 points vs. the Bucks, while Donovan Clingan collected 14 points and 15 rebounds. Matisse Thybulle added 14 points and eight rebounds as Portland's reserves outscored Milwaukee's 57-24.
The 37 wins are the most for Portland since the 2020-21 season, when the Blazers totaled 42 and reached the playoffs most recently.
"We had too many turnovers (20), but overall, I thought we tried to do the right thing, Splitter said after the Milwaukee game. "Win all these games at home. They know what the assignment is. We gotta take this very seriously. This is our playoff already. And that's our mentality. That's how we're approaching every game, and I think they're responding to that."
The Blazers will look to stay hot against Dallas after the teams split a pair of meetings earlier this season.
The Mavericks are in a freefall, having lost five straight games and 24 of their last 28. The current five-game skid is the team's third longest of the calendar year, following 10- and eight-game stretches over the past couple of months.
"We've been in a lot of close games, but unfortunately, we just haven't won them. It's something for us to learn from," Dallas coach Jason Kidd said.
The Mavericks fell for the seventh time in their last nine games on the road in a 142-135 setback in Denver on Wednesday.
Rookie Cooper Flagg collected 26 points, eight rebounds and seven assists vs. the Nuggets. Naji Marshall scored 22 points and P.J. Washington contributed 19 points and 15 rebounds.
"They took advantage of our mistakes late. ... On the road, against a very talented team, we're in a position to find a way to win, but unfortunately, we didn't," Kidd said. "We took care of the ball (four turnovers) and got good looks. Some of them went in. Some of them didn't."