DALLAS -- The Portland Trail Blazers no longer are chasing the San Antonio Spurs in the NBAs Western Conference. [url=https://w

DALLAS -- The Portland Trail Blazers no longer are chasing the San Antonio Spurs in the NBAs Western Conference. Reggie Theus Jersey . LaMarcus Aldridge had 30 points and 12 rebounds, and the Trail Blazers beat the Dallas Mavericks 127-111 on Saturday night to pull even with the Spurs at 31-9. The Trail Blazers have won five consecutive games, including a 109-100 victory at San Antonio on Friday. "I was really proud of the way our team played, especially on the heels of an emotional win in San Antonio," coach Terry Stotts said. "Our resolve, defensively, I thought was very good and got us into a position to have a large lead." The lead reached 38 points at 111-73 with 9:43 to play. A 25-2 surge against Portlands bench brought Dallas within 15 points with 4:38 remaining before the starters returned to restore order. The Trail Blazers, the NBAs highest-scoring team, reached 30 points in the first quarter for the 14th time in 2013-14, and 100 points in three quarters for the fourth time. "We are just playing great basketball right now," Aldridge said. "Whenever guys guard the way they can, this team is good." Dirk Nowitzki led Dallas with 18 points in 21 minutes. All five Portland starters scored in double figures, and Aldridge, Robin Lopez and Damian Lillard (14 points, 10 assists) each recorded a double-double. "The first three quarters were beyond embarrassing," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "We were poor on offence, too. We werent playing together. We werent helping each other. "You do that against a high-level quality team like Portland, theyre going to make you pay a heavy price." Portland outrebounded Dallas 55-30, scored 60 points in the paint and had 22 second-chance points. Nicolas Batum shot 6 for 7 and scored 15 of his 21 points in the first quarter as the Trail Blazers opened a 35-23 lead. "They were double-teaming LaMarcus," Batum said, "so the other four guys around him moved around to get open. Were a shooting team." Portland shot 51 per cent (46 for 90) for the game, including 59 per cent (26 for 44) for a 71-52 halftime lead. The Trail Blazers defence also was superb, holding the Mavericks to 39 per cent shooting (26 for 66) while running up a 104-70 lead after three quarters. Portland had 30 fast-break points to Dallas 5. "Theyre obviously a tough team to defend," Nowitzki said. "They have LaMarcus on the block and they have shooters out there. They really got whatever they wanted for three quarters and they were very good." Carlisle found a silver lining in the fourth quarter, when the Mavericks outscored the Trail Blazers 41-23. "The guys that were in there in the fourth quarter really fought," he said. "Im going to find guys that will fight and get them in the game, simple as that." Jae Crowder scored all 13 of his points in the fourth quarter, and DeJuan Blair had 11 of his 13. The Mavericks Devin Harris played 17 minutes and scored six points in his first game this season following toe surgery. Harris played the first 3 1/2 of his 10 NBA seasons with Dallas, and re-signed with the team last summer, but missed the first 41 games. He received a standing ovation when he entered the game with 3:22 remaining in the first quarter. Harris missed his first two free throws, but hit a long 2-point field goal at the buzzer later in the quarter. "I actually like what I saw," Nowitzki said. "Were looking forward to getting him out there more and more and playing at a high level." Portlands lead grew to 18 in the second quarter, but the Mavericks battled back within 54-46 with an 18-8 run. With the Trail Blazers starting lineup back in the game, they scored 17 of the final 23 points in the second quarter. Aldridge and Batum each had 17 first-half points. The third quarter also started well for Portland, which quickly stretched its advantage to 83-58. NOTES: Dallas Shawn Marion made his 1,000th NBA start. . The Trail Blazers are just 8-6 when they have scored 30-plus points in the first quarter, but theyre 4-0 when reaching 100 in just three quarters. They entered the night averaging 109.1 points per game. ... The Mavericks reassigned rookie guard Ricky Ledo to Texas of the NBA Development League. He has played in only nine games for Dallas, averaging 3.3 minutes and 1.9 points. ... Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was fined $100,000 for confronting officials on the court and using inappropriate language after Wednesdays game against the Clippers in Los Angeles. ... When asked what knowledge Stotts had gained after Portland won only 33 games last season, Carlisle joked about his former assistant, "You mean other than what he stole here?" Larry Drew Jersey . - A mixed martial arts fighter who changed his name to War Machine was ordered Friday to stand trial in Nevada state court on 34 felony charges including attempted murder, sexual assault and kidnapping that could get him life in prison for allegedly attacking his porn star ex-girlfriend and her friend. Stitched Kings Jerseys . Fognini won 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 after Argentinas Carlos Berlocq had beaten Andreas Seppi 4-6, 6-0, 6-2, 6-1 on the outdoor clay surface. Doubles are set for Saturday with reverse singles on Sunday to decide which team reaches the quarterfinals. https://www.cheapkingsbasketball.com/ . -- Claudio Bieler hadnt scored since early September, and not from the run of play since mid-July. NEW YORK -- Carmelo Anthonys three straight 3-pointers in a 15-0 third-quarter run were just what the Knicks thought they needed to break away from the Detroit Pistons. "Coming out of halftime, we said we just need one run to just separate ourselves," Anthony said. But to win it, they needed Anthony to grab one big rebound against a bigger front line, then hit a couple of finishing free throws. Anthony scored 13 of his 34 points in the third, then put it away with two free throws with 2.9 seconds left as the Knicks handed the Pistons a season-high fifth straight loss with an 89-85 victory on Tuesday night. Raymond Felton finished with 12 points and six assists in his return from injury for the Knicks, who came home from a 2-1 Texas swing and held on after blowing most of the 17-point lead they built while outscoring the Pistons 32-17 in the third quarter. Andrea Bargnani had 13 points and 11 rebounds, helping the Knicks overcome the absence of an ill Tyson Chandler to beat the Pistons at Madison Square Garden for the eighth straight time. Josh Smith had 21 points and 12 rebounds for Detroit, while Andre Drummond finished with 12 points and 17 boards. The Pistons were 3 of 19 on 3-pointers and badly missed reserve guard Rodney Stuckey, who missed his third straight game with a sore shoulder, because starters Brandon Jennings and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope shot a combined 3 for 18. "We had a very good effort," coach Maurice Cheeks said. "We were able to fight back, but we couldnt make any shots at the end." Anthony finally brought some offence to an ugly game in the third. He drilled three in a row from behind the arc, the first two from nearly the same spot in front of old teammate and current Pistons assistant coach Rasheed Wallace, to make it 58-49. Felton followed with a jumper before Anthony dunked to cap a 15-0 spurt and give the Knicks a 62-49 advantage. Jennings ended the run with Detroits first 3-pointer of the game, but Amare Stoudemire and Anthony had baskets before Iman Shumpert converted a three-point play when Greg Monroe made a feeble attempt to foul him, as the lead ballooned to 69-52. Maurice Stokes Jersey. The Pistons had six baskets and seven turnovers in the period, which ended with the Knicks leading 73-58. Detroit put together an 11-3 run to cut it to 86-85 on Charlie Villanuevas free throw with 46 seconds left. The Pistons got a chance for the lead after Anthony was charged with an offensive foul, but Smith was woefully short on a jumper with 9.9 seconds left that Cheeks wished had been a drive to the basket instead. "I didnt get the shot I wanted. Im still beating myself up for that," Smith said. "I couldve been a little more aggressive and try to put the initiative on the referees to make a call. It was a shot that is definitely going to be with me until the next game so I can get it out of my head." Felton was fouled and missed the second free throw, but Anthony came away with the rebound, was fouled and made both. Felton played for just the second time in 14 games, having strained his right groin on Dec. 23 in his return from a six-game absence with a strained left hamstring. He was perhaps fatigued down the stretch, making a pair of turnovers that nearly cost the Knicks. "We got a win, thats the main thing," Felton said. The Knicks jumped to a 16-8 lead in the first 5 1/2 minutes before the messiness ensued. New York shot just 33 per cent from the field in the first half and was only 4 of 9 from the free throw line, yet was able to manage a 41-all tie. The Pistons backcourt did its part to help the Knicks, with Jennings and Caldwell-Pope combining to go 0 for 8 and Chauncey Billups coming off the bench to miss all three of his attempts. The Pistons were 0 of 8 from 3-point range in the half. Notes: Detroit fell to 6-1 against the Atlantic Division. ... Knicks forward Metta World Peace said he expected to miss two weeks after having an unspecified procedure on both knees Monday. ... Knicks coach Mike Woodson said guard Pablo Prigioni, out since breaking a toe on Dec. 16, got more treatment Tuesday and the team would have a better feel for his status Wednesday. ' ' '