Mavs-Blazers preview: Critical juncture of the season, Irving says

PORTLAND, Ore. – If the Mavericks were going through a schoolyear, and the NBA season certainly resembles a long series of tests, this part of the schedule would be like a mid-term exam.

No, they aren’t to the halfway point of the season yet, but it’s going to feel like a major part of this year’s grade is going to be earned in the next stretch of games.

That’s the thought process from Kyrie Irving. Allow him to explain. It was in response to whether, after playing nearly 40 minutes on Friday at Phoenix in a strong 98-89 win, whether Irving would be able to play on back-to-back nights in Portland Saturday.

“All excuses go out the window,” he said. “For sure (he will play). Come on, man. We can’t drop any games. This is an important part of the season right here.

“This is where a lot of teams either start dropping off or teams start improving and building their identities for their playoff runs. You see trade rumors. So there’s a lot going on, business-wise. But us internally, we feel really good. We just got to pick each other up. That’s what it’s about at this point.”

In part because they are without Luka Dončić until late January, at least, according to numerous reports. That’s going to give a bunch of Mavericks the chance to widen their roles. And it means a selfless approach, one grounded on the defensive end, is going to be their best ally.

And Spencer Dinwiddie, who figures to play a key part in keeping the Mavericks rolling in Luka’s absence, believes this team is well-situated to stay strong during their superstar point guard’s absence.

“I feel like Dallas’ superpower was you always had guys who did their jobs, whether it was the Dorians (Dorian Finney-Smith) or Maxis (Maxi Kleber) or Bullocks (Reggie Bullocks),” Dinwiddie said after the win over Phoenix. “People like that go really unnoticed or guys like myself that have to be dynamic, then be a role player, then be dynamic, then be a role player.

“I think a lot of credit goes to the organization and the coaching staff for being honest with the guys. That’s the true superpower of Dallas. Guys do their jobs.”

And Dinwiddie is in a unique position to know about such things. He’s been a 20-point scorer in the NBA. And he’s been a 15^th man. So he knows what roles mean maybe better than anybody in the league.

“Having been in the situation when I was one of the (main) guys, when the other ones are doing their job, it makes it so easy for the Lukas and Kyries to be amazing,” he said. “They don’t have to think as much about the other stuff because all the other stuff is getting done by the other people who are just doing their job.”

Doing those jobs is a critical piece of the puzzle to building a complete team.

Here’s what else to look for when the Mavericks visit the Blazers Saturday night:

• Though they lost six in a row to start December, the Blazers have not stopped competing, particularly at home. They have won their last two games at Moda Center, 126-124 over Denver and 122-120 over Utah. Against the Jazz on Thursday, the Blazers got 27 points from Shaedon Sharp and Deni Avdija, plus a game-winner at the buzzer from Scoot Henderson, who had 18 points and 10 assists off the bench.
• The Mavericks have won both meetings this season, 137-131 in Portland on Dec. 1 and last week in Dallas, 132-108. The final meeting comes Jan. 9 at American Airlines Center.
• Playing back-to-back games hasn’t been a problem for the Mavericks so far. They are 4-1 on the second night of such situations. The Mavericks have won four consecutive trips to Moda Center and have beaten the Blazers six times in a row overall.
• The Mavericks have an impressive 10-6 record on the road, where they spent a large portion of their time in November through the first half of December. It’s only a fraction worse than their home record of 10-5.
• Blazers’ coach Chauncey Billups will miss the game because of the death of his grandmother. Assistant Nate Bjorkgren will take over the head coaching duties.

MAVERICKS (20-11) at PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (10-20)

WHERE: Moda Center, Portland

TV: KFAA, MAVS TV STREAM

RADIO: KEGL 97.1 FM, 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish)

X: @ESefko