DALLAS — In an impressive performance, Jaden Hardy came off the bench to score a season-high of 25 points, while P.J. Washington recorded 23 points alongside 14 rebounds. The Dallas Mavericks orchestrated a remarkable late-game surge, finishing the matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers with a 117-111 victory on Thursday evening.
Dereck Lively II also shone for the Mavericks, contributing season-best numbers with 21 points and 16 rebounds. The team continues to operate without the services of their All-Star guards, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, but has nonetheless managed to clinch victories in their last two outings, bouncing back from a challenging five-game losing streak earlier in the season.
The Trail Blazers’ scoring efforts were spearheaded by Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe, each netting 22 points. Despite a strenuous road schedule where they have split games in a back-to-back scenario, Portland stands with a 2-3 record on their current trip. Additionally, Scoot Henderson made a valuable contribution off the bench, scoring 20 points and hitting all 12 of his free throw attempts.
Portland held the lead at 109-99 with just over four minutes remaining, but faltered in the closing moments, missing six consecutive field-goal attempts and suffering from two turnovers. Washington capitalized by sinking two free throws to draw level at 109-109 with 2:26 left on the clock, then followed it up with a pivotal 3-pointer from the right corner that shifted the lead to 112-109 with 1:58 remaining.
In terms of team performance, the Blazers entered the game averaging 12.1 successful 3-point shots and achieved that mark before the end of the third quarter, but managed only 3 of 9 in the fourth. For the Mavericks, Hardy, who has averaged 7.6 points per game this season, elevated his scoring average to 18.0 in the last four games. Meanwhile, Klay Thompson had a quieter performance with just three points on 1 for 6 shooting, including 0 for 4 from beyond the arc.
A crucial moment in the game occurred with the score at 112-109 when Dallas’ Quentin Grimes made a pivotal play. He tipped in a miss from Spencer Dinwiddie with only 40 seconds left, then converted a one-handed shot into a three-point play, extending the Mavericks’ surge to 115-109 with just 31.8 seconds on the clock.
One noteworthy stat from the game showed that, even without their top three-point shooters, the Mavericks dominated the paint, outscoring the Blazers 58-38.
Next, the Trail Blazers will return home to face Miami on Saturday evening, while the Mavericks are set to host Denver on Sunday as they embark on a two-game homestand.
This story has been updated to clarify that Lively recorded 16 rebounds, correcting a previous figure.
