No problem for the Mavericks who won 108-85 against the Magic, far too helpless under the panels in the absence of Paolo Banchero. After a great duel between Wendell Carter Jr and Daniel Gafford, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Jalen Suggs opened the hostilities with 3-pointers to take control (15-8). But what happens next will be much more complicated…
Quite simply because Luka Doncic takes the match into his own hands. First with a long-range shot to Moe Wagner, then finding Derek Lively II for an and-one. The Mavericks first get back on track, before accelerating and then taking the advantage with the help of Kyrie Irving and his penetrations. Dallas ends the first quarter on a 13-2 run to lead 30-22.
The Magic explodes!
The rest will be even worse for the Magic. The two All-Star backs are in great shape and the ball circulates much better for the Texans. Gafford is hyperactive under the circle, while Klay Thomspon takes aim at mid-range. Result, Dallas goes 30-9 to explode Orlando's defense. Only Jett Howard, who has to try twice, and Suggs try to respond from afar, but the gap is already too wide, and the Mavericks are +25 at halftime (65-40).
The second half is just as one-sided. Well served by Doncic, Klay Thompson has fun playing “KCP” at mid-distance. It's Howard again on the Orlando side who is trying to reduce a gap that has widened too much. But Lively's activity under the circle destroys any opposing hope. Dallas reached almost thirty points on several occasions and the two coaches started “garbage time” five minutes from the end.
WHAT TO REMEMBER
The big air hole. After conceding a 13-2 at the end of the first quarter, the Magic will only score 9 points in nine minutes in the 2nd quarter. Result, Dallas escapes to lead by 29 points (60-31)!
Luka Doncic as boss. Above his October standards (38% shooting to 29% from distance), the Slovenian did not fail to take the match into his own hands and he is getting closer to the triple-double with 32 points, 9 rebounds and 7 passes, 50% on shots. In 32 minutes.
Wendell Carter Jr injured again. Already absent during the Magic's last game against the Cavaliers due to knee pain, the interior player only played 9 minutes this evening due to a foot problem. Without its starting interior pair, the Magic suffered under the circles with 53 rebounds for the Mavericks, and 52 points conceded in the paint.
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
