SWIM: Mavericks vs. Trail Blazers

Looking at a box score is something anyone can do. Who lead my team in scoring? How'd we shoot from the field? And while that knowledge is useful, does it really earn you bonus points around the water cooler? That's why I'm here. I'm bringing you the S.W.I.M: Statistics Worth Increased Media. Let Joe from accounting regurgitate what he heard on the way in this morning; you're better than that. Use these nuggets to gain a unique perspective about last night's Mavericks/Trail Blazers game.

There is an odd dynamic of nearly blowing a 30-point lead, but the scoring pattern wasn't anything out of the norm. The Mavericks jumped out to a huge lead in the first quarter (they are the league's third highest scoring first quarter team) and the Trail Blazers made it a game with a massive third quarter (they are the league's second highest scoring third quarter team).

Guards (as labeled by ESPN) scored 55.3 percent of Dallas' points while front court players(forwards and centers) accounted for 55.1 percent of Portland's points, yet the Mavericks won the battle in the paint 42-38. Jose Calderon has made at least three three pointers and has recorded 0 turnovers in each of Dallas' last three wins.

The Mavs improved to 2-0 against the Trail Blazers and 0-3 against the rest of the NBA when Dirk Nowitzki records at least six assists.

For the ninth time in his last 11 games, Samuel Dalembert recorded at least as many rebounds as points (5-5 when he did and 2-0 when he didn’t).

Dallas improved to 5-0 when Monta Ellis plays at least 40 minutes and attempts fewer than 15 shots. The Mavs have reached triple figures in 15 of the 16 games in which Jae Crowder has tallied at least eight points (108.1 points per game).

Portland made seven jumpers outside of ten feet on the right side of the floor, with five coming in the third quarter.

LaMarcus Aldridge recorded his second 30-point, 15-rebound, 3-assist, 2-steal game of the season. He is shooting just 40.8 percent from the field in those two contests.

Portland has lost four straight and six of seven when Aldridge is on the court for at least 37 minutes. Wes Matthews made seven two point buckets in 34 minutes of action, one more than he made in his first 96 minutes this month.

For just the first time since December 8-10, 2012 and only the third time in his career, Damian Lillard scored fewer than 14 points in back-to-back games.

For the eighth time this season, Thomas Robinson averaged at least one foul per 3.5 minutes on the court.