'We Have Everything to Prove in This League': Stifling Magic Defense Slows Down Mavericks
ORLANDO - Facing one of the most dominant offensive players in the association, the Orlando Magic had its hands full against Luka Doncic.
"[Doncic] was our focus coming into the game," Magic foward Chuma Okeke said. "He's one of the best in the league, scoring, passing, all of that."
"We had a specific gameplan of what we wanted to do which was pressure him and not make nothing easy."
Doncic, who had not scored less than 31 points through nine games this season, was limited to 24 points on 9 of 29 from the field and 2 of 11 from three.
"I think [Okeke] did a great job," Mosley said. "We talk about his versatility, being able to guard multiple positions, but then when needed to stay on [Doncic], he did a great job staying on his body, showing his hands the entire time trying not to grab and reach."
After Dallas scored 54 points heading into the break, Orlando would allow just 33 points in the second half - two nights after allowing 134 points against the Houston Rockets.
"We have everything to prove in this league as a group," Franz Wagner said. "As a group we weren't satisfied the other day against Houston and we really wanted to come out and show what we're about.
"We gotta continue to get better at finishing games and playing through mistakes. As a young team obviously mistakes are gonna be apart of it."
And despite Hurricane Nicole moving up the start time, playing without leading scorer Paolo Banchero, and in the midst of a losing streak, this young Orlando team responded in a big way.
"I'm so proud of these guys, their energy, their effort, their resilience to keep fighting," head coach Jamahl Mosley said. "They did a heck of a job sticking with the gameplan, I'm just really proud of this group."
The Magic is back in action Friday night at home against the Phoenix Suns.
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