Mavs Game Preview: Game 29 vs Trail Blazers

A take care of business game before Christmas showdown

Photo by Soobum Im / Getty Images

The Mavericks play their third game at home against the Portland Trail Blazers, before wrapping up a four-game home stand with a highly anticipated Christmas Day rematch of the Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves. But before they can look ahead, the Mavericks need to handle business against the struggling Trail Blazers.

Luka Dončić, upgraded to questionable after missing two games with a heel injury, could return to the lineup. Interestingly, Dončić’s last successful return from injury came on December 1st in Portland, where he put up a dominant 36 points and 13 assists after a five-game absence in late November.

With or without Dončić, the Mavericks are heavy favorites against the Trail Blazers, who rank among the NBA’s bottom three teams in point differential and are a bottom-three team in the Western Conference standings by record.

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Mavs (18-10) vs Trail Blazers (9-19) game facts

Rest: DAL on 1 day of rest; POR on 1 day of rest

DAL vs POR 2024-25 record: 1-0 DAL (see first matchup observations here)

DAL 2024-25 home record: 9-4

POR 2024-25 away record: 3-12

DAL injuries: Luka Dončić (questionable), Jaden Hardy (OUT), Dante Exum (OUT)

POR injuries: Dalano Banton (questionable), Matisse Thybulle (OUT)

POR projected starting 5: Anfernee Simons (G), Shaedon Sharpe (G), Toumani Camara (F), Jerami Grant (F), Deandre Ayton (C)

POR key reserves: Deni Avdija, Scoot Henderson, Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams III, Delano Banton

POR Rotation:

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Three key questions heading into the game

1. Will Dončić return to the lineup?

2. Can the Mavericks’ perimeter defense step up against Anfernee Simons?

3. Will the Mavericks exploit another poor transition defense?

What we saw / what's changed since last game

The Mavericks had to fight until the final buzzer to edge out the Trail Blazers in their first matchup in Portland. Luka Dončić made his return in that game, delivering a dominating performance, but the Mavericks were significantly undermanned. Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Dereck Lively II, and Naji Marshall were all unavailable, and the team was playing on the second night of a back-to-back.

That game turned into a high-scoring shootout, with Portland shooting the lights out at 58 percent from three. Anfernee Simons was on a heater, knocking down 6 of his 8 attempts from beyond the arc and scoring 24 of his 27 points in a third-quarter explosion.

Three players who missed the first matchup are now part of the rotation: sophomore guard Scoot Henderson (still very turnover-prone), rookie big man Donovan Clingan (whose advanced stats remind of Dereck Lively II but who is also foul-prone), and the almost-forgotten defensive specialist Robert Williams III.

Mavs on offense | Trail Blazers on defense

With or without Dončić, the Mavericks should not have any problems scoring against the Trail Blazers. Portland ranks near the bottom in every defensive four-factor category except opponent turnover rate.

Toumani Camara is one of the better and more underrated defenders, but the Mavericks have plenty of options to exploit Portland’s defense. They can either force a switch or compel the Trail Blazers into aggressive help—whether by attacking their bigs (Ayton, Clingan) in drop coverage or hunting their guards on switches.