Dinwiddie continues to fill backcourt void

As the Mavericks tried to run down the Portland Trail Blazers Thursday night, two plays summed up how critical Spencer Dinwiddie is, particularly during this time when injuries are ravaging the backcourt.

The first one came early, when the Mavericks were down by 10 points late in the first half and in danger of falling further behind.

Dinwiddie found Dereck Lively II with a lob pass that he jammed through the bucket for a morale-boosting moment that helped the Mavericks cut the deficit in half before the second-quarter buzzer.

The second play will be more memorable in the long run. As he drove to the paint, Dinwiddie spied P.J. Washington in the corner, zipped a pass to him and Washington’s…