Orlando, FL – In their first game this season without Paolo Banchero in the lineup, the Magic bounced back from back to back losses with an exciting come from behind victory against the Dallas Mavericks.
The Magic came out surprisingly efficient with 4 out of the 5 starters scoring 4 points each and the team shooting 61% from the field in the 1st quarter. Despite the efficient start, they would wind up down four points to finish the period as the Mavs were led by 12 points from Luka Doncic and 8 points from Spencer Dinwiddie. Turnovers were a big problem as the Magic would finish with 8 in the quarter compared to none for Dallas.
The Magic would come out of the in the 3rd quarter stagnant once again, not scoring until the 9:21 mark in the 3rd quarter with Jalen Suggs’ second basket of the game. Overall it was a slow quarter for both teams up until the Magic would successfully win a challenge against a charging call on Wendell Carter Jr. with 1:32 left in the quarter, which seemed to reignite the energy back in the building. They would finish the quarter down 74-73.
Chuma Okeke commented on the energy in the building from the fans after the game. “Fans are always showing out, especially these last couple of games at home. For them to come when the game was moved up plus with the Hurricane about to come, the energy at home has been very impactful.” The team seems to feed off the energy of the fans, the more they show out and show love, the more motivated they play, which will result in more wins.
Ultimately, it was a well balanced game scoring for the Magic as they had 6 players in double figures, led by Franz Wagner with his 22 points and 6 assists. They did a great job containing Doncic, who despite scoring 24 points, was inefficient shooting only 9/29 from the field. Chuma Okeke, Bol Bol and whoever else switched onto Doncic were great in stopping him from hitting his patented stepback due to their length. They were very disciplined tonight.
Spencer Dinwiddie kept them in the game with his timely scoring and he would finish as their leading scorer with 29 pts on 9/19 shooting. The Magic would take the lead around the 6:00 minute mark in the 4th quarter, and would hold on to the lead to finish the game 94-87. It was an impressive showing by the Magic despite being down their best player and six other rotation players in this game. This just scratches the surface of their potential.
They will look to continue the momentum into their first matchup against Devin Booker, Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.