Avdija orchestrates a near triple-double as Portland survives Dallas' furious rally, securing a thrilling 125-122 victory.
PORTLAND — The Portland Trail Blazers steadied themselves late and survived a frantic finish Monday night, edging the Dallas Mavericks 125-122 at Moda Center as a missed buzzer-beater sealed another narrow road loss for Dallas.
Portland Trail Blazers leaned on a complete performance from Deni Avdija, who finished with 27 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds, narrowly missing a triple-double while orchestrating Portland’s offense for much of the night. Shaedon Sharpe added 24 points, and reserve Caleb Love delivered a pivotal scoring punch off the bench with 24 points, including six 3-pointers and the go-ahead free throws in the final minute.
Dallas had one last chance to extend the game, but Klay Thompson’s contested 3-point attempt at the horn rattled out, allowing Portland to escape after nearly surrendering a 17-point lead.
The loss dropped the Dallas Mavericks to 12-22 and capped a winless three-game road trip. Portland improved to 14-19 with the victory.
The fourth quarter unfolded as a back-and-forth battle, with the teams trading the lead eight times. Dallas finally grabbed its first advantage of the second half when Max Christie buried a 3-pointer to make it 106-105 with 6:56 remaining. Christie finished with a team-high 25 points, knocking down five 3s and repeatedly answering Portland runs.
After Dallas briefly went ahead 117-113 on two free throws by Cooper Flagg with just over three minutes to play, Portland responded decisively. Avdija’s driving layup and Love’s deep 3 swung the lead back to the home side, 118-117, igniting the crowd.
Christie answered again, drilling another 3 to put Dallas up 122-121 with 1:09 left, but those would be the Mavericks’ final points. Love calmly converted two free throws with 53.2 seconds remaining, and after Dallas came up empty on consecutive possessions, Sharpe sealed the outcome with two more foul shots with three seconds left.
Earlier, Portland appeared in control. The Trail Blazers pushed their lead to 17 multiple times in the second quarter and carried a 75-63 advantage into halftime behind a balanced attack and steady ball movement. Dallas chipped away late in the third, closing the period on a 9-2 run capped by a Thompson running 3 with 0.7 seconds left to pull within 97-93.
Thompson tied the game early in the fourth with another 3, and from there the contest devolved into a physical, possession-by-possession struggle. Portland’s ability to get to the line proved decisive, particularly in the closing minutes.
Afterward, Dallas coach Jason Kidd pointed to execution on both ends as the difference in another tight loss.
“I think it’s a lesson for all of us,” Kidd said. “Close games, you got to go through it and be able to execute late game. On the defensive end, we just fouled too much. They went to the line. On the offensive end, we got great looks that just didn’t go down for us.”
Christie echoed that sentiment, noting that the shots Dallas generated were ones the team is comfortable living with.
“Klay had a great look, Naji had a great look at the top of the key,” Christie said. “We’re putting ourselves in positions to win. All we got to do is knock them down. We’re going to live with that 10 times out of 10.”
Flagg finished with 15 points, eight assists and six rebounds, while Brandon Williams added 22 points off the bench in his return to Portland, where his NBA career began. Dallas continued to feel the absence of Anthony Davis, who missed his second straight game with right adductor soreness.
Portland also received 18 points and 11 rebounds from Donovan Clingan, helping the Blazers control the interior for long stretches.
The Mavericks return home Thursday to host Philadelphia, still searching for answers in close games that continue to slip away in the final moments.