Mavericks' Shawn Marion slows down Blazers' Gerald Wallace

The one area the Blazers seemed to have an edge was at small forward with All-Star Gerald Wallace.

But Marion has neutralized that advantage. With a mix of in-your-face tenacity and physical will, Marion has been at the forefront of a stout Dallas defense that has stymied Wallace through five games in the series, helping propel the Mavericks to a 3-2 lead after Monday night's 93-82 victory at American Airlines Center.

"There's no way I'm going to let someone go for a real huge night," Marion said, summing up the one and only goal he carries into every game he plays.

Wallace and the Blazers have learned this the hard way. After averaging 19.1 points per game and shooting 53.6 percent from the field over the final 13 games of the regular season, Wallace has been a no-show in the postseason, averaging an even-quieter-than-it-sounds 11.8 points per game and committing a team-high 14 turnovers. He shooting 40 percent from the field (20-for-50) and 18 percent from three-point range (2-for-11).

"I've been watching Gerald," Marion said. "I know Gerald. He's a competitor. But you can make it hard for them. You take away easy buckets and you make them take contested shots. You can make them have a rough night.

"The one thing I've learned about the NBA game is you can't just have a guy have free range at you. Because if not, he's going to have a big night."