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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
DALLAS (AP) – The Portland Trail Blazers gave the Dallas Mavericks a good lesson in what playoff basketball is going to be like: Physical, intense and risky for a team that relies on outside shots.
|  | | The Blazers weren't the only ones fussing about the officiating. Mavs coach Don Nelson joins the fray. |
Rasheed Wallace led an inside attack with 18 points and eight rebounds and Rod Strickland guided a fourth-quarter rally as Portland rumbled past Dallas 96-88 Tuesday night, ending the Mavericks' season-best winning streak at six.
The Blazers vaulted past the Mavs for the fifth spot in the Western Conference and did it in their typical technical foul-filled style as Wallace tied his own NBA record with his 38th technical foul and Scottie Pippen was ejected for twice arguing with officials.
But Portland was able to harness its fire long enough to claw
out of a 12-point deficit, then seize the game with dominant inside
play in the crunch.
"We knew we had to step up and challenge them for an individual
standpoint of stopping guys and I thought we did a great job of
it," said Pippen, who had 16 points, six rebounds and five assists
and was a big factor in the Blazers taking over the game in the
third quarter. "It was a great team win for us."
Dallas tried hanging close with the bombs-away style that had
produced 100 points in five straight games. Instead, the Mavs made
just 39 percent and failed to clinch their first 6-0 homestand since 1983.
"You're going to have nights like this," said Juwan Howard,
who had 20 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks while losing for
only the third time in 12 games in Dallas. "We have to learn from
this and put it behind us."
Howard was the Mavericks' best defender in the paint, but he
alone couldn't hold off the Blazers' deep front court of Wallace,
Bonzi Wells (15 points, six rebounds), Dale Davis (nine points, 11 rebounds) and Shawn Kemp (nine points in 11 minutes).
Wells was especially effective in the fourth quarter, scoring
nine points in the period including a ferocious dunk that put Portland ahead for good, a play he savored by hanging on the rim. He also had the basket that stretched the lead to 88-80 and iced the victory.
The sparkplug, though, was Strickland, who had eight of his 10
points and six of his seven assists while running the offense in
the fourth quarter. Damon Stoudamire, who had 11 points, seven
rebounds and six assists, joined him in the backcourt for the final
minutes.
"Rod did a good job making plays," Portland coach Mike
Dunleavy said. "He had good reads and he made big shots in the
clutch."
Dallas' point guard, Steve Nash, had the opposite effect. He was just 2-of-12 shooting and the 90-percent foul shooter was only 4-of-7, including two misses in the final minute that would've put the Mavs within three.
Dirk Nowitzki struggled, too, making five of his 14 shots, although four were 3-pointers. He had 15 points and 13 rebounds.
Michael Finley led the Mavs with 24 points, but scored only five in the fourth quarter.
"We didn't knock down the shots we usually do," Finley said.
"It was a tough game overall. They were more aggressive."
Wallace tied his own NBA technical record, set last year, with 5:37 left in the second quarter after he threw the ball high in the air following a whistle for a personal foul. He had shoved Nowitzki in the chest.
This was only Wallace's second technical in six games, but his
13th in 19 games. With 15 games left, the All-Star forward could
shatter his dubious mark.
Portland, which had lost three straight on the road, beat a team
with a better record for the second time in three games. Before
that, the Blazers had lost five straight, including two to lowly
Vancouver.
Detlef Schrempf got Portland's first technical of the game when
he griped at officials following his third foul in a span of 1:22
late in the first quarter. He did not return.
Game notes
Dallas had won six straight and 12 of 14 at home. ... One day after spraining his left ankle in San Antonio, Arvydas Sabonis
did not play. ... This was Dallas' 15th sellout. The Mavs are 7-8
when Reunion Arena is full. ... There were 11 technical fouls
called the last time the teams met, seven on Portland and four on
Dallas. This time, all four were on the Blazers. ... Portland also
ruined Dallas' bid for a 6-0 homestand with a 144-140 triple-overtime win in January 1990.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Portland Clubhouse
Dallas Clubhouse
RECAPS
New York 110
Cleveland 75
New Jersey 104
Vancouver 90
Toronto 102
Indiana 81
Orlando 103
Chicago 95
Portland 96
Dallas 88
Phoenix 105
Washington 91
Utah 84
Detroit 79
LA Clippers 88
Philadelphia 77
Sacramento 125
Houston 109
AUDIO/VIDEO
 The Mavericks hit a wall, but Steve Nash hopes they can bounce back quickly.
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Coach Don Nelson thinks his Mavericks will have to step it up in order to beat the tougher teams.
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