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Dallas holds off Portland

Mar 8, 2014 - 6:37 AM Dallas, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Devin Harris scored the go-ahead bucket with 24.2 seconds to play as Dallas dropped a huge lead but held on for a 103-98 win over Portland on Friday.

Harris finished with 12 points, Dirk Nowitzki added 22 points, six assists and five rebounds, while Monta Ellis had 17 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Mavericks, who stopped a three-game slide. Jose Calderon gave 19 points.

LaMarcus Aldridge had a game-high 30 points and 17 rebounds and Wesley Matthews added 26 points and six rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who have lost two of their last three.

Dallas held a 30-point lead 3 1/2 minutes into the second quarter, and eventually took a 57-38 advantage into the halftime break, but Portland dominated in the third quarter and trailed by one, 75-74, going into the final 12 minutes.

"It was a horrible third quarter, and they got going. Give them credit. They hung in, they kept fighting and making plays," Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle said.

Matthews' jumper less than a minute in gave the team its first lead of the game, 78-76, and he later hit a 3 with Mo Williams following a jumper for an 85-78 advantage.

Dallas later scored eight straight to take the lead back, but a 9-2 run by the Blazers gave the team a 98-92 advantage with 4 1/2 minutes to play.

That was the last points the team scored, though, as Harris hit a shot, and Vince Carter followed with a layup before Ellis tied the game with 1:44 to play on a basket.

Following several misses, Harris was fouled as he drove the lane, with the ball dropping and hitting the subsequent free throw with 24.2 seconds left.

Aldridge's bad pass then saw Ellis fouled with 17.4 to play and he missed both free throws, but Carter grabbed the offensive board and hit his two from the line with 16.8 seconds left.

Damian Lillard then lost the ball and Dallas ran off the rest of the clock.

"Obviously getting down 30 on the road is not what you want, but I was proud of the way we competed and we were able to take the lead," Blazers head coach Terry Stotts said.

Portland went just 4-for-19 in the first quarter, as Dallas shot 55 percent and built a 33-10 lead after 12 minutes of play.

Game Notes

Portland continues its five-game road trip in Houston on Sunday ... Dallas hosts Indiana on Sunday ... Portland shot 45.8 percent and held a 49-38 edge on the glass, while Dallas shot 46.8 percent ... Carter finished with nine points and four rebounds.