Dallas MavericksOpen full analysis
Portland Trail BlazersOpen full analysis
Portland edged Dallas 125–122 on December 29 at the Moda Center in a closely contested matchup that finished three points below the Vegas total of 232.5. Darius Avdija led the Trail Blazers with 27 points, while Shaedon Sharpe added 24 in a balanced offensive effort that shot 47.4 percent from the field and connected on 16 three-pointers. The Mavericks countered with Mfiondu Christie's 25 points and Bojan Bogdanovic's 22, though Dallas's superior ball movement—33 assists to Portland's 27—and sharper shooting at 50.5 percent proved insufficient. Portland's defensive rating of 115.6 held firm despite Dallas's seven blocks, while the Trail Blazers' 48 rebounds to the Mavericks' 41 provided crucial second-chance opportunities. The hosts' strong first quarter (42 points) set the tone, and their third-quarter slowdown (22 points) forced Dallas into a fourth-quarter rally that ultimately fell short. Portland's defensive intensity in the closing moments proved decisive in a game decided by possessions rather than dominance.
