Schedule and 2003 Results
Regular Season Records: Dallas 60-22, Portland 50-32
Game 1 on Saturday, 19 Apr: Portland loses at Dallas, 96-pts-86
Game 2 on Wednesday, 23 Apr: Portland loses at Dallas, 103-pts-99
Game 3 on Friday, 25 Apr: Dallas wins at Portland, 115-pts-103
Game 4 on Sunday, 27 Apr: Dallas loses at Portland, 98-pts-79
Game 5 on Wednesday, 30 Apr: Portland wins at Dallas, 103-pts-99
Game 6 on Friday, 2 May: Dallas loses at Portland, 125-pts-103
Game 7 on Sunday, 4 May: Portland loses at Dallas, 107-pts-95

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 7: Nine days since their previous series 894 game victory, the Dallas Mavericks hosted and defeated the Portland Trailblazers 107-pts-95 to win best-of-7 series 894, 4-games-3. The Dallas Mavericks now own a 2-5 best-of-7 series record; that for the Portland Trailblazers falls to 10-9. The win order for series 894 was WWWLLLW: Series 894 is the third NBA best-of-7 series and the sixth MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series (all rounds) to follow this win order. The Portland Trailblazers came closer to surmounting a 3-games-nil best-of-7 series deficit than any other MLB, NBA, or NHL team in nine years. Through both the 2003 NBA and 2003 NHL Preliminary rounds (888 best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL series total), teams taking a 3-games-nil series lead now have a 228-2 (.9913) MLB/NBA/NHL series record and a 68-0 NBA series record. A Portland series victory would have lowered that series record to 227-3 (.9870) -- still appreciably higher that the .9375 theoretical winning fraction based upon a 50% chance for each team to win each game.

After Game 6: On their home court, the Portland Trailblazers outscored the Dallas Mavericks 37-pts-14 in the second quarter and defeated the Mavericks 125-pts-103, thus tying MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 894 at 3-games-all. The Portland Trailblazers thus become the first MLB/NBA/NHL team to rally from a 3-games-nil deficit to tie a best-of-7 playoff series 3-games-all since series 669, in which the NBA Denver Nuggets did so against the Utah Jazz before finally succumbing in Game 7 in their 1994 NBA Quarterfinals series. Two precedents (as set by the 1942 NHL Toronto Maple Leafs in best-of-7 series 42 and by the 1975 NHL New York Islanders in best-of-7 series 295) are favorable for the Portland Trailblazers. Two previous best-of-7 NBA playoff series featured a team that fell behind 3-games-nil but rallied to force (and lose) a Game 7: Series 85, in which the New York Knickerbockers forced and lost Game 7 to the old Rochester Royals (now the Sacramento Kings) in the 1951 NBA Finals, and the aforementioned series 669 in the 1994 NBA Quarterfinals. The Dallas Mavericks' Game 7 record is 0-1; the Portland Trailblazers' Game 7 record is 1-1.

After Game 5: Even though best-of-7 series 894 returned to Dallas for Game 5, the Portland Trailblazers defeated the Dallas Mavericks 103-pts-99 to reduce the Dallas lead in series 894 to 3-games-2. Portland won by the exact same score by which they lost in Dallas a week earlier, in Game 2. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-2, the Dallas Mavericks own a series record of 1-0; when trailing 3-games-2, the Portland Trailblazers have an 0-4 series record. Winning this series will be difficult for Portland, but not impossible. Of note is that series 894 is playing out as part of the inaugural NBA Preliminary round under the best-of-7 format. The two previous teams to surmount a 3-games-nil deficit to win 4-games-3 were new to best-of-7 competition (the 1975 NHL New York Islanders accomplished the feat in their very first best-of-7 NHL playoff series, while the 1942 NHL Toronto Maple Leafs were only the third NHL team to fall behind 3-games-nil in a best-of-7 series -- the dark history of the 3-games-nil deficit had yet to plague the Leafs; the Islanders had no pressure on them). As the NHL has shown, strange things can happen in a best-of-7 Preliminary round: Of the 33 best-of-7 series in which the team trailing 3-games-1 won the series in seven games, almost half (15 of 33) of those series were best-of-7 NHL Preliminary round series. The historical victory probability for a team in Portland's situation is still small, but if there is a series in which to mount a successful comeback from a 3-games-nil deficit, one in the inaugural NBA best-of-7 Preliminary round would be it.

After Game 4: The Portland Trailblazers defeated the Dallas Mavericks 98-pts-79 in Portland, to stay alive in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 894. Dallas now leads the series 3-games-1. Series 894 is the first in which the Dallas Mavericks have held a 3-games-1 lead; when trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-1, the Portland Trailblazers have a record of 0-6.

After Game 3: The site for series 894 may have shifted to Oregon but the game outcome remains the same, as the Dallas Mavericks defeat the Portland Trailblazers 115-pts-103 to take a commanding 3-games-nil lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 894. Dallas leads a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-nil for the first time. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-nil, the Portland Trailblazers have a series record of 0-3.

After Game 2: On their home court, the Dallas Mavericks again defeat the Portland Trailblazers, 103-pts-99 this time, to take a 2-games-nil series lead. Dallas leads 2-games-nil after two games for the first time ever; when trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-nil, the Portland Trailblazers have both a 1-3 series record and a 1-3 Game 3 record -- both the sole Game 3 victory and the series victory occurred in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 335 (the 1977 NBA Finals, won by the 1977 NBA champion Portland Trailblazers).

After Game 1: The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Portland Trailblazers 96-pts-86 in Dallas, thus taking a 1-game-nil lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 894. In best-of-7 NBA playoff series from 1947 through 2002, when the home team wins Game 1 by 10 or more points, its playoff series record is 113-16 (.876). When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 1-game-nil, the Dallas Mavericks have a playoff series record of 0-0 (series 894 is the seventh best-of-7 NBA playoff series for the Dallas Mavericks but the first in which Dallas has won Game 1); when trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 1-game-nil, the Portland Trailblazers have a playoff series record of 2-8.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2002-03 regular season, the Dallas Mavericks finished 10 games ahead of the Portland Trailblazers. From 1947 through 2002, when an NBA team led its best-of-7 playoff series opponent by ten regular-season games, it has gone on to post a 12-3 best-of-7 series record against that opponent. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 894 is the seventh best-of-7 playoff series for the Dallas Mavericks and the 19th for the Portland Trailblazers. In best-of-7 playoff series, Dallas has a 1-5 series record and an 0-6 Game 1 record, while Portland has a 10-8 series record and an 8-10 Game 1 record. Series 894 is the first best-of-7 meeting between the Dallas Mavericks and the Portland Trailblazers. The Dallas Mavericks last played in a best-of-7 NBA playoff series in 2002; the Portland Trailblazers last did so in 2000.