Not without difficulty, the Blazers defeated the Mavericks

Defeated four times in their last five games, the Mavericks went to Portland to try to finish 2025 on a high note. From the beginning of the match, the Blazers shine thanks to their skill from afar, like Toumani Kamara (9 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists), who succeeds in his first three attempts from behind the arc.

To cap off the first act, Caleb Love (24 points, 8/15 shooting, 6/10 from distance) left the Dallas defense wide open and hit another three-pointer to give the Blazers a 42-29 lead after twelve minutes, their biggest deficit of the game.

After two fouls in the first quarter, Cooper Flagg (15 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists) returns to the court and takes control of the offense. However, Dallas is struggling to control Portland’s offense, and Donovan Klingan (18 points, 11 rebounds) has a great opportunity. With the visitors 8-0 up, Sheddon Sharpe settles this fine pass with a long range arrow. Before the break, he intercepted the ball and finished the “windmill” on the counterattack. At the end of the first half where they shot 55% from three points, the Blazers dominated in Dallas 75-63.

SHADON SHARP OF THE WINDMILL OH MY GOD.

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— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) December 30, 2025

Dallas picks up the score

After going to the locker room, the Blazers’ skill level settles down, but Dallas can’t put together a run that would allow them to fully get back into the game. As a result, much of this third act feels like a trade of blows between the two teams. In one minute, the Mavs finally managed to go on a 7-0 run, capped by a complicated three-point shot by Klay Thompson, to bring their team back within two possessions (97-93).

To begin the fourth act,former Warriors scorer continues his momentum and follows the mid-range shot with another three-point shot to bring the two teams back into the tie (99-99). Dallas finally manages to get back in front through Max Christie (25 points, 8/12 shooting, 5/7 from distance), but it doesn’t last, as Shaddon Sharp returns the lead to his team.

Then another exchange of shots begins, during which Daniel Gafford offers himself a poster of Ryan Rupert (9 points, 3 rebounds). Eleven seconds into the game, the Blazers lead by a point, but Dallas has the ball. Cooper Flagg finds Naji Marshall open behind the arc, but the wing misses. On the other side of the court, Sheddon Sharp makes 2/2 free throws. With three seconds on the clock, the final possession of the game went to Klay Thompson, but, in turn, the four-time NBA champion misses.

Portland won 125-122 to give themselves a second straight win before taking on the Thunder in their final game of the year on Wednesday.

WHAT TO REMEMBER

Blazers unsustainable at the beginning of the match. Sparked by Toumani Kamara and his three game-winning shots in the opening minutes, the Blazers offense seemed unstoppable. Thanks to 7/13 from behind the arc in this first act, Portland scored a season-high 42 points in twelve minutes, forcing the Mavericks to chase the score throughout the match.

Max Christie’s Beautiful Evening Wasted. Despite this poor start to the match, Dallas held on and their salvation came through Max Christie. When he returned to the floor six minutes from time, he hit the first long shot to give the Mavericks the lead they hadn’t had since the first quarter. At the end of the match, he recorded a total of three game-winning shots, including the last one that gave Dallas the lead until the final minute. However, this heat stroke was not enough to bring his team the victory. Despite 25 points on 8/12 shooting and 5/7 from distance from the former Lakers player, Dallas lost.

Caleb Decisive Love. Max Christie wasn’t the only one with the hot hand as Caleb Love shined off the bench with 24 points, including 12 in the final period. In addition to his 3-point skills (6/10), the rookie made two important free throws in the last minute to give his team a three-point lead and definitely seal the fate of this matchup.

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How to read statistics? Min = Minute; Shots = Shots Successful / Shots Attempted; 3 points = 3 points / attempt 3 points; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive jump; T = Total number of jumps; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal mistakes; Int = intercepts; Bp = lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Difference of points when the player is on the field; Points = Points; Rating: player rating calculated based on positive actions – negative actions.