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PORTLAND, Oregon (Ticker) -- The suddenly struggling Portland Trail Blazers look to get back on the winning track when they host the Dallas Mavericks, who are teetering on the brink of playoff extinction. On the eve of their matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers on February 29, Portland was tied for the best record in the NBA and were riding an 11-game winning streak. But the loss that night seems to have had a damaging effect on the Blazers, who are 6-8 since their streak was snapped. Portland, once nearly invincible at home, has lost four in a row at the Rose Garden for the first time since February, 1996. Scottie Pippen scored a season-high 25 points, but the Blazers blew a seven-point lead late in the game in a disappointing 89-85 loss to San Antonio on Tuesday. Michael Finley recorded his fifth career triple-double and fourth this season with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists as the Mavericks defeated the Los Angeles Clippers for the sixth straight time, 112-102 on Tuesday. Finley's effort helped Dallas notch its seventh win in 10 games but the Mavs trail eighth-place Seattle by nine games with only 11 remaining. The Mavericks are 2-0 on a four-game road trip that ends in Vancouver on Sunday. Portland has dominated the Mavericks in recent years, winning eight straight before losing in Dallas, 113-105, on January 15. The Blazers are 35-7 at home all-time against the Mavs.
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