Portland, Ore. ? The Portland Trail Blazers head into today’s Game 3 with a postseason losing streak that has been three years in the making.

The Blazers have been swept in the first round for each of the past two years and have lost nine straight overall. They’ve lost five straight under coach Maurice Cheeks.

Down 2-0 to the Dallas Mavericks, they have other issues.

Scottie Pippen was in street clothes for Wednesday night’s 103-99 loss, still bothered by a swollen left knee. Pippen had surgery March 18 and missed 17 games. He returned for the Blazers’ final two in the regular season and played 32 minutes in the series opener, but then the pain and swelling came back.

“It’s frustrating. If I had known I needed this much time to rest, I wouldn’t have come back those last two games. They meant nothing to me,” Pippen said.

The Blazers also might not have starting guard Derek Anderson, who strained his left knee three minutes in Wednesday’s game. Anderson had an MRI Thursday, but the results were not immediately available.

Only seven teams have rebounded from a two-game deficit to win a seven game series. The Houston Rockets were the last to do it when they rallied against Phoenix in 1995.

The Blazers have won 13 of last 15 against the Mavericks in Portland, even though Dallas has been the NBA’s best road team the last two years.

Portland's Scottie Pippen, left, cheers from the bench. Pippen sat out Wednesday's 103-99 loss to the Mavericks in Dallas because of lingering knee pain.

“Going up there, we’re going to have to raise our game another level, and I think we’re capable of doing that,” guard Michael Finley said.

Spurs slump into Phoenix

Phoenix — There isn’t much swagger in the San Antonio Spurs as they head to Phoenix for tonight’s Game 3 of their first-round playoff series with the Suns.

No matter that the Spurs won 60 regular-season games, most in the NBA, and the Suns barely squeezed into the playoffs as the No. 8 seed in the West. Phoenix gave San Antonio fits in the regular season — and in the first two games of the playoffs.

With the best-of-seven series tied after two games in San Antonio, the Spurs must win at least once in Phoenix to advance to the next round.

The Suns’ defensive strategy is simple — a relentless double-team on Tim Duncan every time he gets the ball.

The Suns have prepared with or without David Robinson, who is hoping to be back after missing Game 2 because of a partial tear of cartilage in his left knee. He scored 18 points on 8-for-8 shooting in Game 1.