The Blazers had a 6 point lead in the fourth quarter, and were on the break. But the ball bounced out of bounds, and it was all Dallas afterwards. Dirk Nowitzki turned into Dwyane Wade from the 2006 Finals, and Dallas held off the Blazers to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Dirk led the game with 28 points, and Jason Kidd torched the Blazers from the three point line to the tune of 24 points. For the Blazers, LaMarcus Aldridge scored 27, Andre Miller added 18, and Nicolas Batum contributed 14. No other Blazer scored in double figures, but Marcus Camby helped with 18 rebounds.
The Blazers have a few days to recover from this loss, and Game 2 will be Tuesday night. The box score is here, and stay tuned for more from Dave later.
Also, please be cognizant of the rules here. We're a family site, so please keep the swearing to utterances in person. And please do not call out other fans because you disagree with them. Let's stick to discussing the game, not each other. Thanks. --Tim