Epic failure leaves Nowitzki, Mavericks frustrated

By Jaime Aron

Associated Press

Published: Sunday, April 24 2011 11:11 a.m. MDT

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Fans high-five Portland Trail Blazers' Brandon Roy (7) as he leaves the court following Game 4 of their NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks Saturday, April 23, 2011, at the Rose Garden in Portland, Ore. The Trail Blazers won 84-82.

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Summary

Just a week into the postseason, the Dallas Mavericks are in jeopardy of adding to their long track record of winning big in the regular season and losing painfully in the playoffs.

DALLAS — Just a week into the postseason, the Dallas Mavericks are in jeopardy of adding to their long track record of winning big in the regular season and losing painfully in the playoffs.

As a free agent last summer, former MVP Dirk Nowitzki signed up for four more years because he wanted to turn around that reputation.

Dallas went to Portland with the chance to pull off a sweep, but returned home licking its wounds following one of the most humiliating losses of the NBA's shot-clock era. The Mavericks spit up a 23-point lead with 13 minutes left to lose Game 4 and knot the series at 2-2.

Game 5 is in Dallas on Monday night. A return trip to Portland is already set for Game 6 on Thursday night.

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