The Dallas Mavericks (24-19) heads to Portland (19-22) to face another team desperate for a win. The Trailblazers have lost five in a row, and have only two wins in their last 10 games.
The task remains tall, as Dallas is still thin in their rotation. Josh Green and Dorian Finney-Smith have made progress, but neither looks likely to be available for the first game. Add to that Dallas is coming off a double overtime marathon against the Lakers that saw all five starters play 47-plus minutes.
Upside down
Historically, Portland has been a turnstile on defense; content to try and outshoot opponents on the strength of their star, Damian Lillard.