PORTLAND, Oregon — Monday’s primetime matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers wasn’t just any other post-holiday meeting against another Western Conference foe.
It marked the final game of 2025 for the Dallas Mavericks and the end of one of the most transformative years in the franchise’s 45-year history.
What appeared as a promising opportunity to close the gap between the 10th-place Blazers quickly turned into another loss on the road by the 12th-place Mavericks.
Dallas finished winless on its three-game road trip and suffered a close 125-122 loss at Moda Center, which also marked their seventh straight defeat in an opposing arena.
The Mavericks trailed by as many as 17 points in the second quarter, but closed the gap to four points entering the fourth, setting the stage for their 26th clutch game of the season.
They had two chances to take the lead in the final 33 seconds and one final chance to send the game into overtime on the last possession, but came up empty because of missed 3-pointers by Naji Marshall and Klay Thompson.
Max Christie scored a team-high 25 points with five 3-pointers, none more important than his triple that gave the Mavericks a one-point lead with 1:09 left in the game. That was the final time Dallas scored as it failed to convert when the game was in the balance.
Brandon Williams, who spent his rookie season in Portland, made several pivotal plays in Dallas’ first win since Dec. 23. He finished with 22 points and four assists.
The Mavericks had difficulty containing the dynamic young quartet of Donovan Clingan, Shaedon Sharpe, Deni Avdija and Caleb Love, who combined to score 93 points Monday night.
Avdija entered as one of the 15 highest-scoring players in the NBA. The Blazers forward nearly finished with a triple-double, totaling 27 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists.
Cooper Flagg, the league’s rookie scoring leader, entered Monday’s matchup with three straight games of scoring 20 or more points. The Mavericks forward’s streak came to an end as he finished with 15 points, six rebounds and eight assists.
Flagg entered the game without wearing his brace to protect a thumb splint on his right hand that occurred earlier this year. The Mavericks rookie had his left pinky finger taped during the first half. He struggled to maintain control of the ball and finished with five turnovers.
During the final minute, Flagg drew several defenders and passed to Marshall for open 3-pointers that could’ve given the Mavericks the lead. Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said Flagg made the right decisions.
Monday marked Thompson’s second homecoming game of the three-leg road trip after returning to San Francisco on Christmas Day. Thompson, who grew up in nearby Lake Oswego, received the benefit of some home cooking when he tapped into one of those shooting streaks late in the game. He added 14 points off the bench.
Mavericks star forward Anthony Davis missed his second consecutive game with right adductor soreness. While Davis was unavailable, the Mavericks welcomed the return of Williams, who played after a one-game absence because of a left calf contusion.
The fourth-year point guard was back where his NBA career started as Williams was on a two-way contract with Portland during the 2021-22 season. Williams showed exactly how much he’d grown since his rookie year and shined off the bench with his ability to get downhill and score through traffic.
For the second consecutive game, Kidd changed his starting lineup to start the first half and replaced Ryan Nembhard with Williams. Nembhard finished scoreless and dished out three assists.
The Mavericks may have started the year with a different vision and different personnel, but they’re headed into 2026 with an opportunity for a fresh start despite their struggles to begin the 2025-26 season.
Story by Mike Curtis, The Dallas Morning News.