PORTLAND, Ore. — Dallas erased a 17-point deficit and had a chance at the horn, but the Mavericks came up short Monday night in a 125–122 loss to Portland.
Klay Thompson’s 3-point attempt to force overtime missed at the buzzer after Dallas went cold in the final minute. Max Christie led the Mavericks with 25 points, Brandon Williams added 22, and Cooper Flagg totaled 15 points, eight assists and six rebounds.
Dallas surged back behind perimeter shooting and eight fourth-quarter lead changes, taking a 122–121 edge on Christie’s 3 with 1:09 left. The Mavericks never scored again.
Portland was powered by Deni Avdija’s near triple-double (27 points, 11 assists, nine rebounds), while Shaedon Sharpe and Caleb Love scored 24 apiece. Love hit six threes and sank the go-ahead free throws in the final minute.
The Mavericks trailed 75–63 at halftime before tightening up defensively and pushing the pace, but the late push wasn’t enough.
Up next: Dallas hosts Philadelphia on Thursday.
