Now, beating the Trail Blazers in a close contest typically wouldn't be something to boast about, but Dallas is without both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, who are sidelined with i

Jaden Hardy scored a season-high 25 points off the bench, P.J. Washington had 23 points and 14 rebounds and the Dallas Mavericks used a late 16-0 run to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 117-111.

T he Dallas Mavericks used a late 16-0 run to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 117-111 on Thursday night, making this the first time Dallas has won consecutive games with Kyrie Irv

Thursday’s NBA schedule includes the Dallas Mavericks (21-16) playing at home against Deni Avdija and the Portland Trail Blazers (13-23) at American Airlines Center. The game starts at 8:30

The Blazers have won two of their last three including a 119-100 win last night in New Orleans against the Pelicans. Deni Avdija led Portland with 26 points. The Mavericks smacked the Lakers 118-97 in Dallas Tuesday night. No Luka. No Kyrie. No Problem. Quentin Grimes has 23 off the bench for the Mavs.

The Dallas Mavericks sought a two-game winning streak, and so did the Portland Trail Blazers, as the two West teams entered Thursday night’s game. The Mavericks defeated the Trail Blazers 117-111 at the American Airlines Center on Thursday night.

A fan uses a haptic device from OneCourt during a Portland Trail Blazers NBA basketball game. (Portland Trail Blazers Photo) The Portland Trail Blazers

The Trail Blazers sport the fifth-worst defensive rating in the NBA, and the matchup will be particularly favorable for Grimes. Portland has allowed opposing SGs to average 35.8 PRAs this season.

TV channel: KATU (Antenna: 2.2 in Portland. Xfinity: 302 and 1170. DirecTV: 688-1. KUNP (Antenna: 47.1. Xfinity: 16, 302, 1170. DirecTV: 47. Spectrum: 184).

In a season filled with lows, the New Orleans’ Pelicans dipped even lower Wednesday night. The Pelicans lost by 119-100 to the Portland Trail Blazers. At one point, the Pelicans trailed by 33. This wasn’t some road game in Philadelphia - where the Pelicans will play Friday night - or in Boston - where the Pelicans will play on Sunday.

The Trail Blazers are currently 4-15 on the road with a point differential of -10.1, while the Pelicans have a 2-8 record in their last ten games at home.