PORTLAND, Ore. _ It probably won't happen, but Yogi Ferrell deserves to be perhaps the first player on a 10-day contract ever to win NBA player of the week.
The rookie capped off a huge week with a ridiculous shooting exhibition Friday night as the Dallas Mavericks took down the Portland Trail Blazers 108-104 in a game that could have serious playoff implications down the road.
The Mavericks remained 2{ games out of the final playoff spot, now occupied by Denver, but the win started a three-game stretch against the Blazers (twice) and Nuggets.
The Mavericks won for the fourth time in a row and they have the look of a team that has its eye firmly focused on the playoff chase.
Ferrell was absolutely unstoppable. He had the best game anybody could remember from a Maverick rookie since Roddy Beaubois had 40 points in Golden State a decade ago.
Ferrell hit nine 3-pointers, tying the rookie record owned by Beaubois in that game.
His last triple came with 19.3 seconds left and put the Mavericks up 105-101.
C.J. McCollum answered for the Blazers with a three, but Wesley Matthews, who had a big game himself in front of the fans who still adore him from his time with the Blazers, hit two free throws with 14 seconds left for a 107-104 advantage.
The Blazers got off two 3-point tries, but neither was close and the Mavericks won for the second time this season at Portland.
The Mavericks had led throughout the game, and by as much as 24 points in the second quarter.
It was the kind of game that had the feel of a match between desperate teams, playoff-caliber teams.
"We understand where we are," coach Rick Carlisle said. "We fought hard to get in a position where we can sniff it and know that it's a realistic possibility. But we're going to have to continue to grind.
"What you always want in an NBA season is for the games to be meaningful and I mean truly meaningful."
