Blazers (18-24) at Mavericks (26-15)

Time: 8:30 p.m. CT

Place: American Airlines Center, Dallas

TV: FSSW; ESPN

Radio: ESPN, 103.3 FM, Univision, 1270 AM (Spanish)

About the Mavs: They have quietly won three in a row and are looking to go 12 games over .500 for the first time this season . . . This is the second of four meetings this season and the Blazers already have won their first visit to AAC in the third game of the season, 121-119. The Mavericks shot just 39.4 percent from the field in that game while allowing the Blazers to shoot 51.7 percent . . . The Mavericks have a 5-6 record against the Blazers in the last 11 games and 10 of those have been decided by single digits . . . Luka Doncic is fourth in the NBA in scoring (28.8 points), third in assists (9.0) and 16th in rebounding (9.8). Since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976, only six other players have finished a season in the top 20 in all three categories: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Grant Hill, Kevin Garnett, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook . . . The Mavericks went just 3-3 on their six-game home stand earlier this month and are only 12-10 overall at AAC . . . They continue to lead the league in fewest turnovers per game at 12.9 . . . Hot shooting usually rules in the NBA and they have shot 50 percent or more in each of the last three games, five of the last six and six of the last eight. They are 15-1 this season when hitting at least half of their shots.

About the Blazers: They have won two in a row, including a 117-107 victory Wednesday at Houston. In that game, the Blazers’ five starters combined for 98 points, led by 25 from Damian Lillard and 24 from C.J. McCollum. They also got 18 points and 18 rebounds from center Hassan Whiteside and 18 points and 12 rebounds from Carmelo Anthony . . . However, with big men Zach Collins and Jusuf Nurkic out with injuries, the Blazers are woefully thin on the front line . . . Lillard is one of the most dangerous guards in the league, averaging 26.8 points and 7.6 assists per game and making 36 percent of his 3-point shots . . . Anthony, who many thought was finished, joined the Blazers in November and has averaged 16.3 points and 6.3 rebounds while shooting a shade under 40 percent from 3-point range . . . The Blazers have been a poor rebounding team partly because of their lack of big men and they also rank 20th in the league in 3-point percentage allowed (36.4 percent) and 20th in points allowed (113.6) . . . Former Rick Carlisle assistant coach Terry Stotts has led the Blazers to the playoffs in six consecutive seasons, including the Western Conference finals last season. But they currently are 10th in the West.

Twitter: @ESefko

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