2 weeks Ago By Field Level Media
Luka Doncic had 32 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in 32 minutes of action and the Dallas Mavericks cruised to a 108-85 victory over the visiting Orlando Magic on Sunday. Daniel Gafford scored a season-high 18 points, Kyrie Irving added 17 and Dereck Lively II had 11 points and 11 rebounds for Dallas, which led 65-40 at the break after outscoring the Magic 35-18 in the second quarter. Dallas carried its momentum into the second half and stretched its lead to 82-52 on Doncic's free throw with 6:05 left in the third quarter.
The Mavericks led by as many as 33 points in the fourth quarter and finished shooting 49.4 percent from the field and went 10-for-32 (31.2 percent) from beyond the arc for the game.
Orlando lost its third straight game and fell to 0-2 without All-Star forward Paolo Banchero, who is out indefinitely with a torn right oblique. Franz Wagner led the Magic with 13 points, Jett Howard scored 12 and Jalen Suggs and Moritz Wagner had 10 apiece. Orlando was held to a season-low point total while shooting 33.
3 percent from the field and 8-for-41 (19.5 percent) from 3-point range. Doncic scored 14 points in the first quarter to help give the Mavericks a 30-22 lead.
Orlando missed seven of its eight 3-point attempts in the opening period. Dallas began the second quarter on a 10-2 run and moved ahead 40-24 with 9:47 left in the first half. The Magic struggled to contain Doncic, who later scored eight straight points to extend the Mavericks' lead to 55-28 with 4:01 remaining in the half.
Doncic finished with 25 points in the first half on 9-of-15 shooting, including a 5-of-10 mark from beyond the arc. Orlando went 3-for-18 (16.7 percent) from 3-point range in the first half.
Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. had six points before exiting the game at the break with a strain of his left plantar fascia. This article first appeared on Field Level Media and was syndicated with permission.
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