• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Red-hot at home, Blazers host Mavericks

Dec 25, 2008 - 11:16 AM Dallas (16-11) at Portland (18-11) 10:30 p.m. EST

PORTLAND, Oregon (Ticker) -- If the Portland Trail Blazers continue their torrid pace at home, they will find themselves atop the Northwest Division before long.

In the midst of a stretch in which it plays 10 of 12 games at the Rose Garden, Portland goes for its fourth straight home win against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday.

Outside of the Los Angeles Lakers (14-1), the Trail Blazers own the Western Conference's best home record at 10-2. After opening 7-0 at home, Portland bounced back from back-to-back tight home losses with three consecutive victories.

Tuesday's 101-92 win over Denver avenged a road loss to the Nuggets the previous night and pulled Portland into a tie for first place with its division foe.

Brandon Roy followed a career-high 52 points last Thursday by tying a season-low with eight points in Monday's loss, but bounced back with 19 points and six assists.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 22 points and eight rebounds and Joel Przybilla added 10 points and a season-high 19 rebounds.

Dallas has recovered from a dreadful 2-7 start to climb within two games of the first-place Houston Rockets in the Southwest Division.

Dirk Nowitzki led the way with 21 points as the Mavericks topped the Grizzlies, 100-82, on Tuesday. Jason Terry added 17 points and Jason Kidd dished out 11 assists.

Thursday's tilt begins another three-game road trip for the Mavericks, who went 2-1 during an East Coast swing prior to their home game against Memphis.