Portland, OR (SportsNetwork.com) - LaMarcus Aldridge scored 20 points with seven rebounds to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a 108-87 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday.
Damian Lillard netted 18 points, Wesley Matthews chipped in 12 and Nicolas Batum finished with eight points, nine rebounds and nine assists for the Trail Blazers, who have won two straight.
Dirk Nowitzki had a team-high 17 points for Dallas, which had its three-game winning streak snapped.
The Blazers trailed by four at halftime, but came out firing in the third quarter and turned the game into a rout.
Following a pair of free throws from Tyson Chandler, Matthews made a 3-pointer that started a 19-3 run. Aldridge scored six points during the surge that Matthews capped with two at the line for a 65-55 lead.
The run was just the beginning of a dominant effort both offensively and defensively for the hosts. Portland shot 13-for-20 from the floor and limited the Mavs to 6-of-20 shooting, taking an 81-68 lead into the fourth.
Monta Ellis, who scored 14 points in the setback, opened the fourth with jumper, but CJ McCollum answered with a trey before Thomas Robinson and Chris Kaman converted layups for an 88-70 lead. The Blazers led by as many as 27 to win it going away.
Dallas led 24-20 after the first quarter and each team scored 26 points in the second frame with the Mavs leading 50-46 at the break.
Game Notes
Dallas had gone 12-6 over its last 18 games in Portland coming in ... Portland owned a 53-34 edge on the glass, but committed 18 turnovers ... The Blazers finished 40-for-77 from the floor.
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