The Portland Trail Blazers finished over the top of the Dallas Mavericks to win 85-81 in Tuesday’s clash of two of the top teams in the NBA’s Western Conference.
Brandon Roy scored 23 points and LaMarcus Aldridge added 19 points and 12 rebounds for Portland.
Dallas held a six-point lead early in the fourth, but Portland came back with a 17-3 run that began and ended with 3-pointers from Steve Blake, taking an eight-point advantage with 3:48 left.
PHOTO: EPA
Dirk Nowitzki’s 3-pointer with 1:16 to go pulled Dallas within two points and the Mavericks had a shot to tie it, but Nowitzki’s 17-footer rimmed out with 40 seconds to play.
Andre Miller’s two free throws with 6.5 seconds remaining sealed the Blazers’ victory.
The Mavericks’ leading point producer, Nowitzki, who had missed a game and a half with a deep right elbow gash, scored 27 points and grabbed nine rebounds with a bandaged and padded elbow.
Nowitzki was injured on Friday when he collided with Houston’s Carl Landry in the second quarter of an over-time loss to the Rockets.
Two of Landry’s teeth were in the wound, which kept Nowitzki out of the second half as well as a 102-95 triumph on Sunday over Cleveland.
J.J. Barea added 22 points for the Mavericks, who had won six of their prior seven games.
LAKERS 111, THUNDER 108
In Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant scored 40 points for the sixth time this season as Los Angeles narrowly held off Oklahoma City.
Pau Gasol had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who had a poor first half and needed two last-minute free throws to win their first game back from a five-game road trip.
After trailing by 12 in the first half, Los Angeles blew most of an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter. The Lakers’ lead was twice cut to one point in the final 25 seconds, but they held on.
Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant scored 30 points before fouling out with 1:31 to play, as the Thunder lost their fifth in six games.
CELTICS 103, PACERS 94
In Boston, the hosts came from a 12-point third-quarter deficit to run down Indiana, boosting their lead in the NBA’s Eastern Conference.
Paul Pierce missed his first 10 shots but then scored 16 points in the fourth quarter, including seven straight, to put Boston ahead for good.
Pierce finished with 21 points, going 12 for 13 from the free throw line to make up for his slow start from the floor. Kendrick Perkins scored 19 points to go with eight rebounds.
The Celtics scored 13 straight points to take their first lead with 4:45 left in the third quarter.
ROCKETS 108, CLIPPERS 99
In Houston, Carl Landry matched his career high with 27 points in his first game back after dental surgery, helping Houston beat Los Angeles.
Landry damaged five teeth Friday night when he took an elbow to the mouth. He went 7 for 10 from the field and 13 for 15 from the free throw line as Houston beat the Clippers for the 10th time in 11 games.
HAWKS 112, TIMBERWOLVES 87
In Minneapolis, Jamal Crawford scored 26 points and Joe Johnson added 21 points and six assists to lead Atlanta past Minnesota. The Hawks moved to 20-7, equaling the best start in franchise history.
Also on Tuesday, it was:
• Bobcats 88, Pistons 76
• Knicks 88, Bulls 81
• Grizzlies 121, Warriors 108
• Wizards 105, 76ers 98
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