Dallas Mavericks Team Report - November 18

(Basketball News) - Steve Nash grabbed the game’s final rebound to secure his first career triple-double, as the Dallas Mavericks rolled to a 105-98 victory over Portland.

Nash finished with 14 points, 12 assists and 10 boards for the first ever triple-double at American Airlines Center.

Michael Finley added 25 points, while Dirk Nowitzki and Antawn Jamison scored 20 apiece for the Mavericks, who have won four of their last five games. Antoine Walker chipped in with 14 points.

The Blazers led 50-46 at halftime and opened the third quarter on a 17-7 burst. Rasheed Wallace capped the flurry with a bucket that made it 67-53 midway through the third quarter, but the lead wouldn’t last.

Dallas responded by scoring 18 of the next 22 points to tie the game at 71-71 with three minutes left in the frame. The game remained tight after that until the Mavs’ 10-1 run in the fourth quarter put it out of reach.

Portland led 80-77 early in the fourth, but Dallas got hot and ended up with an 87-81 advantage when Finley drained a fade-away jumper at the 6:51 mark. The Mavs’ lead reached as high as nine later in the frame, and the outcome was never in doubt.

Dallas center Shawn Bradley missed the game with a knee injury.

This is the first time the teams have met since the Mavs eliminated Portland in seven games in the 2002-03 first round of the NBA playoffs. Dallas led the series 3-0 before Portland came back to win three straight and force a seventh game, which was won by the host Mavericks, 107-95

Dallas is a perfect 5-0 at home this season.

The Mavs are off until Thursday when they host Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs in the second of a four-game homestand.