DALLAS -- With top scorer Dirk Nowitzki facing double-teams,
it was up to Josh Howard to pick up the slack on offense for the
Dallas Mavericks.
And he did just that.
Howard had 23 points and a season-high 14 rebounds, helping the
Mavericks overcome a subpar game from Nowitzki to beat the Portland
Trail Blazers 91-80 on Friday night.
"They look for me to do a lot on this team," Howard said.
"Whatever I need to do to get us going, I'm going to do it."
Nowitzki, the defending league MVP, began the night averaging
21.7 points, but was 0-for-5 in the first quarter and went without
a point for the game's opening 20 minutes, 45 seconds. He finally
converted a three-point play to give the Mavericks a 36-30 lead.
Nowitzki finished with 11 points.
Howard shot 8-for-15 from the field and made all seven free
throw attempts.
"Josh is our firestarter," teammate Jerry Stackhouse said.
"He gets the party jumping. We depend on him to do that every
night."
Dallas-area native and former University of Texas star LaMarcus
Aldridge led the Trail Blazers with 22 points, 12 rebounds and a
career-high five blocked shots.
Aldridge drew the primary defensive assignment on Nowitzki, who
missed 10 of 15 shots from the floor, but Aldridge also had plenty
of double-teaming help.
"It's a team effort," Aldridge said. "Everyone took turns
guarding him. When you get double-teamed, it's hard to score."
Jason Terry added 17 points and Devin Harris had 14 points and
seven assists for the Mavericks, who extended their home winning
streak against the Blazers to nine games.
Steve Blake had 12 points and Sergio Rodriguez added 10 for a
young Portland team, winless (0-8) on the road this season.
"Moral victories don't mean anything," Aldridge said. "We had
breakdowns at bad times. It's part of growing up."
Portland had lost 13 straight to Dallas until the Blazers beat
the Mavericks on Nov. 10 in Portland, 91-82, holding Nowitzki to 11
points.
Brandon Roy, NBA Rookie of the Year last season, led the Blazers
with 32 points in the win at Portland, but he finished with only
eight points in Friday night's rematch.
In his last four games, Roy is averaging only 10.8 ppg. and has
gone 17-for-59 from the field.
"Things like that happen," Portland coach Nate McMillan said.
"Everyone's going to have a week where the rhythm's not there."
Howard scored six points during an 8-0 third-quarter run to
stretch Dallas' advantage to 66-47.
The Mavericks went 14-for-19 from the field in the third quarter
and took a 76-59 lead.
The Blazers moved to 76-65 with 9:10 left on back-to-back
baskets by Aldridge.
Howard converted a three-point play and Terry drained a
3-pointer with 8:24 remaining to build the back lead, 81-65.
Portland made one last charge, using an 8-0 run capped by
Blake's 3-pointer with 1:48 left to pull to 86-80.
But Harris hit two free throws with 1:13 remaining, Terry hit a
jumper with 36 seconds left and Terry converted one of two free
throws with 14.9 seconds left to ice the win.
"Their coach isn't going to let them lay down," Mavericks
coach Avery Johnson said. "But we were able to hand in and dig it
out at the end."
Nowitzki scored seven of Dallas' last 11 points of the second
quarter and the Mavericks entered halftime with a 44-36 lead
despite shooting a chilly 39 percent from the floor (18-for-46).
Game notes
James Jones was back in the Portland rotation after missing
12 games with a knee injury. ... Dallas F Devean George (left foot)
and G Eddie Jones (sore right leg) will go through a full practice
next Tuesday, and then Johnson will decide when each will be added
to the rotation. Johnson said George is closer to game action than
Jones, who has been under orders to lose weight. ... Aldridge had
to come up with 45 tickets for family and friends. ... Blake got
hit in the mouth when he fouled Howard with 5:34 left in the third
quarter and went to the locker room for treatment before returning
in the fourth quarter.