Dallas Mavericks game moved up due to weather; fans brave the elements to attend

DALLAS - The game between the Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers was moved up due to today's weather.

Weather changes Mavs-Blazers tip-off time

What we know:

The Mavericks moved up the start of Thursday’s game to 6:30 p.m., an hour earlier than their scheduled start.

Doors to the American Airlines Center opened at 5 p.m.

In the midst of heavy rain and snow, fans braced the elements to see the Dallas Mavericks play. 

"We thought it might get canceled," said Cullin Bacak from Lake Highlands. "But this is professional sports. They are going to play the game."

"I was working from home," said Carlos Elguea from Oak Cliff. "I was just monitoring to see if the game was canceled, is going to happen. Then, they changed the time on me."

The game was moved up an hour due to the wintry weather. Crews put out salt and cleared ice from sidewalks, which was quickly washed away by the heavy rain. 

Some families drove from areas like The Colony in Denton County, where they had to trudge through much more snow than had fallen around Downtown Dallas. 

"The main roads were pretty good," said Jovi Perrez from The Colony "The residential roads weren’t that great. But the main roads were fine."

Others just navigated slick roads in southern parts of Dallas.

"There’s not a lot of snow on the street. Not a lot of congestion either," said Elguea.

While getting to the game was easy for some, getting back home when conditions worsen is a concern. 

"We will worry about that when it happens," said Bacak.

"Just be cautious. Take my time, 40 miles per hour or less, and I will be just fine," said Perez.

In the end, the Mavs beat the Blazers 117-111.

Dallas Weather Forecast

The heaviest snowfall is expected to begin after dark and continue past midnight. Moderate snow is expected for several hours in the early evening, starting around 8 p.m. Snowfall should mostly be over by sunrise Friday morning.