The Portland Trail Blazers will face the Dallas Mavericks in the sixth and final game of their first big trip of the season. The Blazers are in his No. 2 spot in the Western Conference, with the winners of their last three games entering the competition. They aim to complete the road trip with 5 wins out of 6 games, some of which are somehow falling short.
The Mavericks enter this contest after losing their last two games. orlando magic When Washington Wizards on the road. However, he has won his last four games at home and hopes to extend that streak in his next five games at home.
Blazers vs. Pelicans – Saturday, November 12 at 5:30 PM PT
How to watch on TV: Root Sports Plus, NBA League Pass
Blazer injuries: Gary Payton II (out), Olivier Searle (out), Jerami Grant (doubtful), Yusuf Nurkic (doubtful), Shadon Sharpe (doubtful), Justice Winslow (possible), Keon Johnson (out)
Mavericks injuries: Christian Wood (possible), Davis Bertans (out)
SBN Affiliates: mabs moneyball
match up
Luka Doncic The Mavericks offense starts with Luka Doncic and ends with Luka Doncic. Year 5 Prodigy leads the league in points and utilization. He’s off to a strong start to the year with his first sub-30-point performance in his 10th game this season. The Blazers’ game plan in this matchup is entirely focused on how to slow down the freight train that is Luka Doncic. Whether or not the Blazers have plans to slow the scoring down, or whether or not Doncic makes a pass, could decide this contest.
Frontcourt depth. Lillard and Simmons have only made three appearances in their last six games, so the backcourt rotation can adjust more after injury. With Nurkic on the injury report, this could be another game where the Blazers rely heavily on frontcourt depth. Likely to make up a center-forward rotation. This trio of his has been consistent so far this season and is expected to produce and score in this game.
slow it down. The Blazers currently rank 27th in the league in pace, while the Mavericks rank last. These two teams of his are led by a star guard who likes to make attacks on the half his court, and their pace reflects that. Will the Blazers try to push the Mavericks out of their comfort zone and run away? Or will both teams take the help of their opponents to slow this game down into a back-to-back battle? If he can rush through the steady offense of Luca and the Mavericks, it could lead to success throughout this game.
what others are saying
Jordan Brodes in Mavs Moneyball I mentioned how important it is for the Mavericks to intercept the Blazers’ 3-point attempts.
The Trail Blazers are averaging over 30 points per game, not 3 points like most teams. But they are connecting when they are connecting. They are currently fifth in the league in team 3-point shooting, and several players can beat them.
The Mavericks have done a solid job in this area, whether it was luck or plan. The team limits him to 28.6 3-point attempts per game, holding the team to less than 35% from his three. It’s going to be a busy night, especially for Dorian Finney-Smith, Reggie Bullock and Josh Greene.
Tyler Watts of Smoking Cuban He talks about the struggles on the Mavericks bench in recent losses.
The Wizards were doubling down on Luca and making him give up the ball. All Dallas needed to do was make an open shot, which they struggled to do, especially in the second half. The Mavs scored just 44 points in the second half, shooting 43.0 percent from the field, and suffered another dismal loss.
The Mavs bench couldn’t find it Thursday night as they apparently missed Christian Wood. They were just eight of his 29 from the field, five of which were from Tim Hardaway his junior. The biggest disappointment of Thursday night was the Mavericks’ defense.
Grant Asfes of Dallas Basketball said Luca’s last two games could be a sign of fatigue after a historic start to the season.
Doncic’s production dropped during the two-game stretch. He averaged 23.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists. His efficiency plummeted during these outings as he shot just 34.0% off the floor, 26.3% on 3 points and 43.8% on free throws.
There has been much speculation about how long Doncic will be able to manage the enormous workload on the Mavs offense leading up to the start of the season. He seems to have already reached a point of concern after 11 games, admitting he felt “more tired” during the team’s two-game trip.
