PORTLAND, Ore. — If the Mavericks were going through a school year, and the NBA season certainly resembles a long series of tests, this part of the schedule would be like a midterm exam.

No, they haven’t reached the halfway point of the season yet, but it will feel like a lot of this year’s grade will be earned in the next few games.

That’s the thought process from Kyrie Irving. Allow him to explain. At issue was whether Irving, after playing nearly 40 minutes in a strong 98-89 win Friday at Phoenix, would be able to play on back-to-back nights Saturday in Portland.

“All excuses go out the window,” he said. “For sure (he will play). Come on, man. We can’t drop games. This is an important part of the season.

Partly because, according to numerous reports, they will have to make do without Luka Dončić at least until the end of January. This will give some Mavericks a chance to expand their roles. And it means that a selfless approach based on the defensive side will be their best ally.

And Spencer Dinwiddie, who is playing a key role in keeping the Mavericks going in Luka’s absence, believes this team is well-positioned to remain strong in the absence of their superstar point guard.

“I feel like the superpower of Dallas was that there were always people doing their jobs, whether it was the Dorians (Dorian Finney-Smith), the Maxis (Maxi Kleber) or the Bullocks (Reggie Bullocks) were,” Dinwiddie said after the win over Phoenix. “People like that really go unnoticed, or people like me who have to be dynamic, then have to be a role player, then have to be dynamic, then have to be a role player.”

“I think the organization and the coaching staff deserve a lot of credit for being honest with the guys. That’s the true superpower of Dallas. Guys are doing their job.”

And Dinwiddie is in a unique position to know about such things. He’s been a 20-point scorer in the NBA. And he’s already 15^Th Man. So he knows what roles mean, perhaps better than anyone in the league.

Completing these tasks is a crucial piece of the puzzle in building a complete team.

Here’s what else to look for when the Mavericks visit the Blazers on Saturday night:

• Despite losing six straight to start December, the Blazers haven’t stopped competing, especially at home. They have won their last two games at the Moda Center, 126-124 against Denver and 122-120 against Utah. Against the Jazz on Thursday, the Blazers got 27 points from Shaedon Sharp and Deni Avdija, plus a game-winner at the buzzer from Scoot Henderson, who had 18 points and 10 assists off the bench.
• The Mavericks have won both meetings this season, Dec. 1 in Portland 137-131 and last week in Dallas 132-108. The final meeting will take place on January 9th at the American Airlines Center.
• Playing back-to-back games hasn’t been a problem for the Mavericks. On the second evening of this kind the score is 4:1. The Mavericks have won four consecutive trips to the Moda Center and have beaten the Blazers six straight times overall.
• The Mavericks have an impressive 10-6 record on the road, where they spent much of their playing time from November through the first half of December. It’s just a fraction worse than their home record of 10-5.
• Blazers coach Chauncey Billups will miss the game due to the death of his grandmother. Assistant Nate Bjorkgren will assume head coaching duties.

MAVERICKS (20-11) and PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (10-20)

WHERE: Moda Center, Portland

TV: KFAA, MAVS TV STREAM

RADIO:

X: @ESefko