Trail Blazers @ Mavericks

Who will WIN this matchup?

Portland Trail Blazers (1-1)

@ Dallas Mavericks (2-0)

Current odds:

Portland Trail Blazers: (+120)

Dallas Mavericks: (-140)

• The line for this game is Dallas by 2.5 points.

• The Dallas Mavericks are off to their best start since the 2004-05 team began 4-0 and will try to stay out of the loss column when they host the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday. Dallas, which hasn’t made the postseason since 2015-16 and last won a playoff series in its 2010-11 championship season, was victorious at New Orleans 123-116 on Friday as Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis continued their hot starts. “It means a lot,” Doncic told reporters. “We’re all very happy after this win, but it’s just a start and we’ve got to keep it going and, hopefully, like I’ve said, it’s time to make the playoffs.” Doncic has begun his second season by scoring 59 points in two games while Porzingis has 47 in his first campaign with the Mavericks.

• Portland evened its record with a 122-112 victory at Sacramento on Friday as Damian Lillard scored 35 points and has 67 in two contests this season. The new-look Blazers also received 22 points and nine rebounds in 26 minutes from Hassan Whiteside, who was acquired via trade from Miami during the offseason.

• Lillard signed a four-year, $196 million extension and CJ McCollum added three years and $100 million to his contract during the offseason as Portland went all-in with its two best players while adding new support pieces. “We have the right team, the right coach, the right mindset … and the right fans,” McCollum, whose team reached the Western Conference final last season, told reporters. “We’ve got it all. Now all we need to do is finish the job.” Back-up point guard Kent Bazemore, who came in a deal with Atlanta, contributed nine points, eight rebounds, five assists and two blocks in 24 minutes against Sacramento, and was a plus-17 – trailing only Lillard and Whiteside (plus-23 apiece).

• Doncic is getting the job done in all facets as he recorded 25 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists versus Sacramento, giving him nine career triple-doubles – the most by a player younger than 21 in history. Delon Wright recorded 20 points, seven rebounds and five steals Friday in his 200th NBA game. Veteran forward Dwight Powell (hamstring) is close to making his season debut although coach Rick Carlisle told reporters: “It’s really a day-to-day situation at this point, which is good.”

• Lillard, Oscar Robertson and LeBron James are the only three players in NBA history to record at least 1,500 points and 400 assists in each of their first seven seasons.

• Dallas has made at least five 3-pointers in a franchise-record 265 straight games.

• The clubs split the four-game series last season with the contests decided by a total of 21 points as Lillard averaged 32.3.