Trail Blazers End Playoff Futility With Huge Win

Despite playing without Scottie Pippen, Derek Anderson and Arvydas Sabonis, the Portland Trail Blazers managed to avoid being swept in the first round by the Dallas Mavericks.

Zach Randolph had 25 points and 15 rebounds to help the Trail Blazers beat the Mavericks, 98-79, Sunday night at Portland.

The victory ended Portland’s 10-game playoff losing streak which dated to Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference finals against the Lakers. And Maurice Cheeks won his first playoff game as a coach after six consecutive losses.

The series return to Dallas on Wednesday for Game 5.

No team has come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a seven-game series, and the Mavericks haven’t lost four in a row all season.

After trailing, 52-49, at the break, the Trail Blazers had a 21-0 run in the third quarter and went on to lead by as many as 24 points.

Randolph tied it at 54-54 with a layup at 8:52 of the third quarter, and Rasheed Wallace made a go-ahead three-point basket before Randolph made a jumper to give Portland the lead at 59-54.

Randolph’s dunk and layup made it 67-58 before Damon Stoudamire’s fastbreak layup and free throw increased the lead to 70-58.

The Trail Blazers got a scare on their next possession when center Dale Davis was poked in the left eye by Eduardo Najera on a layup. After making the free throw, Davis went to the locker room.

He returned to watch from the bench as the Trail Blazers continued to build the lead.

The Mavericks’ 10 points in the third quarter was a team playoff low.

Phoenix 86, San Antonio 84 -- The Suns are even with the Spurs again thanks to the unlikeliest of clutch performers -- Jake Voskuhl.

The backup center, whose three-point play tied the game at 80-80 with 1:51 left, scored on a jump hook over Tim Duncan after receiving a pass from Penny Hardaway with 2.3 seconds left to give the Suns the come-from-behind victory at Phoenix.

It was the Suns’ only lead of the fourth quarter.

Duncan, who had 24 points and 11 rebounds, missed an off-balance 16-foot shot at the buzzer.

The victory tied the best-of-seven first-round series at 2-2, with Game 5 Tuesday night in San Antonio.

Stephon Marbury scored 18 points, Shawn Marion had 17 points and Hardaway had 13 points and seven assists.

San Antonio’s Bruce Bowen, only three for 18 from the field in the first three games of the series, made seven of eight shots -- five of them three-pointers -- for a career playoff-high 19 points, but he didn’t take a shot in the final 6:55.