PORTLAND, Ore. — It's been a strange season for the Mavericks, and Wednesday night featured maybe the strangest development of them all.

They actually have somebody's number.

Who'd have thought it? The Mavericks completed a season sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers with a gutsy 93-89 victory at the Rose Garden as Dirk Nowitzki scored 29 points and hit the clinching three-pointer with 17.1 seconds left.

The Mavericks won for the third consecutive time and are 2-0 on this trip, bolstering hope that they can move up in the Western Conference playoff seedings.

Holding an 88-86 lead, the Mavericks turned the ball over as Travis Outlaw swiped the ball from Jason Kidd. But Antoine Wright stole a pass, and that set up the decisive possession.

Jason Terry (24 points), who teamed with Nowitzki for huge nights, got the ball to his partner just to the left of the top of the key, and Nowitzki buried a 3-pointer. When Channing Frye missed a 3-pointer, Brandon Bass rebounded and was fouled, making one of two shots, rendering an Outlaw 3-pointer with 6.5 seconds left moot.

The Mavericks won all three games from the Blazers this season, including both visits to Portland.

Suddenly, the Mavericks look like a team to be reckoned with after winning tough games on back-to-back nights in hostile environs.

Erick Dampier was a force for the Mavericks in the third quarter, when he had a pair of dunks just as the Mavericks' offense was beginning to sputter. He also had a key offensive rebound that led to a Terry 3-pointer and an 80-72 lead.

The Mavericks escaped into the fourth quarter with a seven-point cushion and knew they would have to hang on for dear life.

They had to hang on while watching their troops drop one by one.

First, J.J. Barea, who had earned his second consecutive start, took a hard fall on a drive and went to the sideline clutching his arm.

Moments later, Devean George was fouled on a drive and came up clutching his right knee. He limped to the locker room after making one of two free throws.

By then, the Mavericks had started to lose what was never a completely comfortable lead. The Blazers, who got a huge night from LaMarcus Aldridge, got five consecutive points from Outlaw, including a 3-pointer that made it 86-84 with 2:57 to play. When Terry missed, the Blazers had a chance to tie.

Stackhouse update:

The Jerry Stackhouse comeback, take two, is about to start.

The Mavericks shooting guard said Wednesday that he will rejoin the squad Thursday in the Bay Area, hopefully going through a workout with his teammates.

That doesn't mean Stackhouse will be in uniform Friday against Golden State. He is not expected to play on this four-game trip.

But he said his right foot that has been beset by plantar fasciitis feels much better now than it did last month when he played two games and had to go back on the shelf because of lingering pain.

"It's time for me to get back in the gym with the guys," Stackhouse said. "That's not saying I'm going to play Friday. But I'm definitely coming along pretty well. I hope to get some practice time and then get with Rick and we'll figure out if and when that will be.

"I'm better than I was the last time, for sure."

Asked if it looked good for a return to the court at some point in the last 17 games of the season, he said: "There's very much a chance of that happening."

Briefly:

Josh Howard will see a specialist again on Thursday for further evaluation on his sprained left ankle. He, too, is expected to rejoin the team Thursday, but his playing status is unknown.