The Dallas Mavericks brushed off their recent loss to the Houston Rockets with a 108-85 win over the Orlando Magic, dominating the upstart Eastern Conference franchise coached by former Mavs assistant Jamahl Mosley. Luka Doncic put on a show in front of his former coach, dissecting the Magic viciously in three quarters to enjoy a 30-point lead for large stretches of the contest.
Doncic had 32 points (11-22 FG), nine rebounds, and seven assists effortlessly, bouncing back from a recent stretch of poor shooting games. Kyrie Irving put up 17 points (5-11 FG) while Daniel Gafford had a big night with 18 points and eight rebounds. Dereck Lively II was super impactful off the bench, putting up 11 points and 11 rebounds as Klay Thompson put up a well-rounded nine points, five rebounds, four assists, and two blocks.
The Magic looked completely flat without Paolo Banchero, being led by Franz Wagner’s 13 points (6-15 FG), six rebounds, and six assists. Jalen Suggs scored 10 points (4-13 FG) while Mo Wagner did the same as well. They didn’t have the offensive creation or the shot-making to be competitive against the Mavs. It’s a major issue they need to rectify if they want to be taken seriously as potential contenders in the East.
Here are our major takeaways from this performance by the Mavericks.
Mavericks’ Stat Leaders:
Luka Doncic: 32 PTS, 9 REB, 7 AST (11-22 FG, 5-13 3PT, 5-7 FT)
Kyrie Irving: 17 PTS, 2 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL (5-11 FG, 1-2 3PT, 6-7 FT)
Daniel Gafford: 18 PTS, 8 REB, 1 STL (9-13 FG, 0-1 FT)
Dereck Lively II: 11 PTS, 11 REB, 1 AST (5-7 FG, 1-3 FT)
Klay Thompson: 9 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST, 2 BLK (4-10 FG, 1-5 3PT)
Magic Stat Leaders:
Franz Wagner: 13 PTS, 6 REB, 6 AST, 2 STL (6-15 FG, 1-2 3PT)
Jalen Suggs: 10 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 2 BLK (4-13 FG, 1-5 3PT, 1-2 FT)
Mo Wagner: 10 PTS, 6 REB (3-10 FG, 0-4 3PT, 4-4 FT)
Jett Howard: 10 PTS, 1 STL (4-10 FG, 2-6 3PT)
Luka Doncic Turns The Corner
Luka Doncic had a slow start to the season, coming into this game with averages of 27.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 6.0 assists, shooting 38.7% from the field. This performance against the Magic was more like the Luka we saw last season, who was scoring over 30 points in three quarters effortlessly and led the league in scoring.
He was shooting poorly through the first few games of the season, with their loss to the Rockets being considered by many as one of the worst games Doncic has played in his seven-year career so far. He looked effortless on the court against the Magic, dissecting their offense and scoring at will, especially against Orlando’s one-on-one coverages.
His defense has looked more purposeful and intentional, with Luka closing out on threes and holding his position on the perimeter with much greater consistency this season. He ended the win as a +21, reminding fans that he’s still the most dangerous offensive player in the NBA.
An Explosive Second Quarter
The second quarter was where this game was sealed in Dallas’ favor. After a tense first quarter where the Mavericks jumped out to a 30-22 lead, they locked Orlando up in the second quarter to win the quarter 35-18 and take an unassailable 26-point lead into halftime.Â
The Mavericks essentially went on a 52-16 stretch from the middle of the first quarter to the last three minutes of the second quarter where they sealed the win with a dominant two-way performance.Â
Doncic scored just 11 points in seven minutes in the second quarter, as Kyrie Irving contributed eight points of his own, meaning the Mavs backcourt outscored the entire Magic squad in the second quarter. Purposeful defense with offensive wizardry caused this game to snowball out of Orlando’s control.
Orlando’s Offense Without Banchero Is Dreadful
The Magic need to address their pitiful offense without Paolo Banchero. The Magic superstar averaged 29.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists before getting suffering a torn oblique which will sideline him for months. In the meantime, the Magic need to remain relevant as a Playoff franchise but this loss to the Mavericks proved they won’t be offensively capable without Banchero.
The Magic shot 31-93 (33.3 FG%) from the field and 8-41 (19.5 3P%) from three tonight. They committed 14 turnovers as well, looking out-of-sorts on offense in what was the worst scoring performance by a team so far this season.
The Mavericks’ defense was incredible on the night, but the Magic’s offense made their job a lot easier as well. They were one of the weakest offenses in the NBA last season and haven’t addressed their issues on that end enough outside adding a shooter like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the lineup, who scored just seven points tonight.
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