Mavs-Blazers Game 6 Preview: What Time Does Game 7 Tip?

The Mavericks are 0-4 in Portland's Rose Garden this season. All-time they are 18-46 in Portland, including 1-8 in the playoffs. They lost Games 3 and 4 of this first-round series. Since 2006 they are a putrid 2-17 in road playoff games. The Blazers, meanwhile, have won 12 of their last 13 at...

By Richie Whitt

April 28, 2011

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The Mavericks are 0-4 in Portland's Rose Garden this season. All-time they are 18-46 in Portland, including 1-8 in the playoffs. They lost Games 3 and 4 of this first-round series. Since 2006 they are a putrid 2-17 in road playoff games.

The Blazers, meanwhile, have won 12 of their last 13 at home.

What I'm trying to say is ... see y'all Saturday night for Game 7.

Tyson Chandler was great in Game 5 and Dirk Nowitzki has been consistent all series, and I think the Mavs' zone defense will again befuddle Portland's iffy outside shooting. But the Mavs haven't won a statement game as underdogs since I don't remember when.

This season they've coughed up big leads at home and they've lost big games to playoff teams on the road.

From the start of the playoffs I've maintained that the Mavs will beat the Blazers in 7 and then lose to the Lakers in the second round.

Unfortunately, part of that equation is a loss tonight in Portland.

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