MAVERICKS (15-17) AT PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (13-19)
Time: 9 p.m.
Place: Moda Center, Portland, Ore.
TV: BSSW
Radio: The Eagle, 97.1 FM; Univision 99.1 FM (Spanish)
About the Mavericks: Mainly because they have been ravaged by injuries and health and safety protocol issues, the Mavs have lost four of their last five games. And those unfortunate cases will continue tonight as Luka Doncic, Tim Hardaway Jr., Reggie Bullock, Maxi Kleber, Trey Burke and JaQuori McLaughlin will all miss the game against Portland because they’re in the health and safety protocols. Also sidelined tonight is center Willie Cauley-Stein, who will sit out his 15th straight game due to personal reasons. Cauley-Stein hasn’t played since Nov. 27 against the Washington Wizards. . .A pair of players on a 10-day contract under the COVID-related hardship allowance — Theo Pinson and Marquese Chriss — have prospered with the Mavs. Pinson is averaging 8.3 ppg and 4.3 rpg in 21.7 mpg, and Chriss averages 7.7 ppg and 6.0 rpg in 13.3 mpg. . .Doncic has missed the past seven games and hasn’t played since racking up 27 points, nine rebounds and nine assists during a 106-93 loss at Indiana on Dec. 10. The Mavs are 3-4 in the current seven-game stretch of games Doncic has missed. . .The Mavs waived rookie forward Eugene Omoruyi on Sunday. . .This is the second of a five-game road trip for the Mavs, who opened it with Saturday’s 120-116 loss in Utah in a game the Mavs led by 16 points. Jalen Brunson (27 points, six assists) and Kristaps Porzingis (27 points, nine rebounds, two blocks) led the Mavs against Utah, and Frank Ntilikina added 17 points. . .After facing Portland, the Mavs will play the Kings twice in Sacramento — on Wednesday and Friday. They will wind up the trip Sunday in Oklahoma City before returning home to entertain the Denver Nuggets on Jan. 3.
About the Trail Blazers: With losses in 11 of their last 14 games, the Blazers have been spinning in the wrong direction lately. And most of the games haven’t been close, as eight of those 11 losses have been by 10 or more points, including three by 22 or more points. . .After winning at home against Charlotte (125-116) on Dec. 17 and at Memphis (105-100) on Dec. 19, the Blazers lost at New Orleans (111-97) last Tuesday. That’s the last time the Blazers played a game. That’s because their contest this past Thursday against Brooklyn was postponed due to a plethora of COVID-19 cases at that time with the Nets which left Brooklyn without the minimum number of eight available players required to play the game. . .Damian Lillard leads the Blazers with 23.8 ppg and 7.5 apg, Norman Powell averages 18 ppg, and Jusuf Nurkic is averaging 13.3 ppg and 9.9 rpg. . .Lillard has scored 30 or more points six times this season, including 20 or more points on 20 occasions. Lillard scored 39 points in the loss to New Orleans when he was 6-of-11 from 3-point range. . .Guard CJ McCollum has missed the past eight games after suffering a rib injury during a 145-117 loss to the Boston Celtics on Dec. 4. McCollum was later diagnosed with a collapsed lung, and a CT scan last Wednesday showed that the lung has healed. Thus, McCollum has been cleared for non-contact drills and increased shooting and conditioning drills, and will be re-evaluated this week. In 24 games this season, McCollum is averaging 20.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg and 4.5 apg. . .The last time Portland played Dallas, the Mavs prevailed, 132-92, back on March 21 in the Blazers’ back yard. It was the Mavs’ 13th win by 40 or more points in franchise history.
Twitter: @DwainPrice
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