Dallas, TX (My Sportsbook) - The Dallas Mavericks try to advance to the second round when they welcome the Portland Trail Blazers to AmericanAirlines Center for Game 5 of their best-of-seven series.

Dallas appears poised for a second-round clash with the Sacramento Kings. The Kings also lead their best-of-seven series 3-1, and host the Utah Jazz tonight with a chance to advance.

The Blazers had lost 10 straight postseason games, including six straight under coach Maurice Cheeks, entering Game 4. They were injured and on the ropes, down 3-1 in their best of seven series to the Mavericks, and without Scottie Pippen (knee). It was a recipe for a sweep and Dallas was probably already looking forward to the second round. Portland had other plans.

Zach Randolph scored 25 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, while Damon Stoudamire added 17 points and 11 assists, as the Blazers whacked the Mavericks 99-78 in Game 4.

"You have no idea how important it is to get that victory," Cheeks said. "What went right? We made shots and they didn't make shots."

Dirk Nowitzki scored 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while Nick Van Exel added 18 points and seven assists. Michael Finley played through a case of the flu and finished with seven points on 3-of-12 shooting from the field. Steve Nash did not score and shot 0-for-4 from the floor.

By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the Mavs emptied their bench.

"Third period, I don't know what to tell you. I was very disappointed with our performance," Mavs coach Don Nelson said. "We just didn't have much life out there for whatever reason. We were outhustled and outplayed and outeverythinged in the third quarter.

"In the fourth quarter I decided that we should probably wait for another day."

That day has arrived for the Mavs. Dallas would advance to the conference semifinals for the third straight season with a win tonight. The Mavericks failed to qualify for the postseason for 10 consecutive seasons prior to 2000-01, when they made it to the conference semifinals for just the fourth time in franchise history. Dallas made it past the first round again last season before losing to the Kings in five games.