Dallas, TX – After scoring 30 points on Saturday, O.J. Mayo came back to pour in a game-high 32 points, leading the Dallas Mavericks to a 114-91 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.
Chris Kaman chipped in with 16 points off the bench and Darren Collison posted a double-double with 14 points and 13 assists for the Mavericks, winners in two straight, and three of their first four.
"Teams can't really scout that," Kaman said of Dallas' offense. "We don't really know what we're doing ourselves half the time. "I mean, we know what we're doing, but we don't have kind of a set thing, so we're just playing off of each other. And if guys keep shooting the ball the way they've been shooting, we'll be alright."
LaMarcus Aldridge and Wesley Matthews each dropped in 20 points and Nicolas Batum chipped in with 14 points for the Trail Blazers, who have alternated wins and losses in their first four games.
Rookie Damian Lillard had scored at least 20 points in his first three NBA games, but posted just 13 in the setback.
"Well, obviously we didn't do a good enough job defensively. I think Dallas put on a flow clinic in the second half," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. "The ball was moving, setting good screens, they made their shots, got to the rim, and the game kind of got away from us in the middle of the fourth quarter."
The Mavs took a 31-27 lead after the first quarter, thanks to 12 points from Mayo in the period. Dallas shot 59.1 percent from the field and nailed 3-of-5 3-pointers, including a pair from Mayo, who as emerged as the Mavericks go-to scorer with All-Star forward Dirk Nowitzki nursing a knee injury.
The Blazers pulled within 57-55 at the break. Aldridge and Matthews scored 15 and 12, respectively, and Portland took a one-point lead after Aldridge's three-point play, but the Mavs were able to regain the lead before the half.
Portland kept it close in the third, despite shooting just 34.8 percent from the floor, and trailed 83-79 heading into the final quarter.
The Mavs used a 19-9 burst in the fourth to go up 102-87 and put the game out of reach for the Blazers. Kaman hit two jumpers over the run, Jae Crowder nailed a pair of 3's and scored all nine of his points in the frame. . A J.J. Hickson putback with 3:43 left pulled Portland within 11 points, but Dallas scored the final 12 points of the game to seal the win.
Game Notes
Mavericks' Brandan Wright has posted four consecutive double-figure point games for the first time in his career ... Dallas forward Shawn Marion left the game with a left knee strain and did not return ... Portland has dropped four of their last seven games in Dallas.
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