Dallas Mavericks vs ​Portland Trail Blazers preview: NBA Sundays

Sunday's game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Portland Trail Blazers features two Western Conference teams that are battling it out to make the NBA play-offs at the end of the regular season. The Mavericks host the Trail Blazers at the American Airlines Center, before travelling to Portland, where they will face off once again, for the last time this season, on Wednesday. The two games could be crucial in determining who makes the cut at the end of the season for the NBA play-offs

(Getty Images)

Portland Trail Blazers

After a great run in February that included a 32-point victory against the record-breaking all conquering Golden State Warriors, the Portland Trail Blazers' form has dipped of late with them currently sitting in sixth position in the West. They suffered their largest defeat of the season to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday in Oklahoma City and will be eager to bounce back against their Western Conference foes. However, the Trail Blazers, led by two-time NBA All-Star Damian Lillard and rising star C. J. McCollum have a strong roster capable of beating anyone on the night as demonstrated by wins against the Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers to name just two. The final stretch of the season will be critical to the Blazers Playoff chances.

Player to Watch: Damian Lillard – Many compare the Blazers point guard to Steph Curry and the 25 year-old is certainly the one player to watch for the Portland Trail Blazers. He is one of the most destructive offensive players in the league with great shooting and electric handles. While he made two consecutive NBA All-Star appearances in 2014 and 2015, he was not selected for last month’s NBA All-Star game in Toronto to the surprise of many. Indeed, since his All-Star snub, he has registered some huge performances including a 50-point game against the Raptors followed two days later by a 41-point outburst against the Wizards.

Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks have recently snapped an alarming five-game losing streak. Their reaction was, however, admirable on Monday, when they defeated the streaking Charlotte Hornets, who themselves were on a run of seven straight wins. The Mavericks have a nice mix of youth and experience and have become a constant feature in the post season qualifying for the Playoffs all but once in the last 15 years. Now that the end of the season is approaching the Mavericks will need to maintain the winning mentality they showed against Charlotte earlier this week in order to hold on to the eighth place of the Western Conference.

Player to Watch: Dirk Nowitzki – The NBA veteran is at the twilight of his successful career. In his 18 NBA seasons, the 37 year-old has always been loyal to the Mavericks, with whom he won an NBA MVP award in 2007 and an NBA title in 2011. He will certainly be remembered as one of the best frontcourt players in NBA history, with his exceptional shooting ability, despite standing at 7ft tall. Although being amongst the oldest players currently active in the NBA, he is still able to perform at a high level, which makes him a player to watch out for this Sunday.

Who wins? Tweet your prediction using #NBASUNDAYS

NBA Sundays on BT Sport – a live NBA game every Sunday. This week on 20 March the Dallas Mavericks will host the Portland Trail Blazers on BT Sport Extra 1 at 8pm.