DALLAS, TX — The Dallas Mavericks completed an improbable comeback, defeating the Portland Trail Blazers 109-97 in Game 7 at American Airlines Center to advance after trailing 0-3 in the series.
Brandon Williams led Dallas with 21 points, Cooper Flagg added 18, and Dereck Lively II controlled the glass with 13 rebounds. The victory marked the Mavericks’ fourth straight win after facing elimination earlier in the series.
Portland’s fortunes shifted dramatically after losing Damian Lillard to a sprained right toe. The Trail Blazers were also without Shaedon Sharpe, who suffered a broken left hand in March.
Jrue Holiday scored 28 points and Jerami Grant added 26 in an effort to keep Portland alive, but the Blazers lacked consistent support elsewhere.
Center Donovan Clingan grabbed 19 rebounds but scored only 6 points, while Deni Avdija finished with 14 points and missed all eight of his three-point attempts. Portland also struggled with ball security, committing 18 turnovers that led to 16 Dallas points.
The Trail Blazers led 38-33 after the first quarter before Dallas seized momentum with a dominant 32-17 second quarter to take a 65-55 halftime lead. Portland was unable to regain control in the second half as the Mavericks steadily protected their advantage.
Dallas now advances after becoming one of the few teams in NBA playoff history to recover from a 0-3 series deficit.
