How it happened: For the first time this series, the Dallas Mavericks didn’t dominate the fourth quarter.
The Portland Trail Blazers, energized by a rowdy Rose Garden crowd, stretched its lead from three to double figures in the first few minutes of the fourth quarter and fought off the Mavs down the stretch for their first win of the series.
A terrific shooting performance by Jason Terry, who hit 10 of 13 shots en route to scoring 29 points, kept the Mavs in the game. But Terry, considered one of the West’s best closers, faded in the fourth quarter, scoring only three points in the final frame.
Dirk Nowitzki had nine of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, but that wasn’t enough.
The Mavs' scoring-by-committee approach failed. Terry and Nowitzki were the only two Dallas players to score in double figures.
The Blazers had four players with 16 or more points: Wesley Matthews (25), LaMarcus Aldridge (20), Brandon Roy (16) and Andre Miller (16)
What it means: We’ve got a series. And the Mavs’ road misery in the playoffs continues. The Mavs are 2-17 in postseason games away from Dallas since the beginning of the 2006 NBA Finals. They are 0-3 in the Rose Garden this season.
Play of the game: Brandon Roy (16 points in 24 minutes) had a flashback night as a scorer, but his biggest play was probably an assist. Roy drew two extra defenders after posting up little J.J. Barea, then found Gerald Wallace wide open on the weak side for a 3-pointer. That gave Portland its first double-digit lead of the series with 8:48 remaining.
Stat of the night: One game after the Mavs matched a franchise playoff low with six turnovers, Jason Kidd committed five. The Mavs had 16 as a team.
