Shorthanded Mavericks Snap Magic's 3-Game Win Streak

The Dallas Mavericks outscored the Orlando Magic 34-20 to help notch a 101-92 road victory Thursday night, snapping the Magic's winning streak at three games. Orlando, now 35-39 with eight games left, continues its homestand Saturday evening versus the Sacramento Kings.

Orlando Magic guard Gary Harris (14) shoots the ball over Dallas Mavericks guard Dante Exum (00) in the second quarter at Kia Center. | Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

ORLANDO, Fla. –– The Orlando Magic win streak-snapping loss followed a formula that, as of late, is all too familiar.

Take a lead, surrender an extended third-quarter run, then not recover.

Thursday night, it was a visiting Dallas Mavericks team – shorthanded and 3-7 in their previous 10 games – that used a 20-2 run to outscore the Magic 34-20 in the third quarter.

With the Magic unable to respond, Dallas left Central Florida with a 101-92 victory.

"Our intensity and our focus was good for 36 minutes, but we could play a 48-minute game," Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. "The last two games we've been okay (in the third quarter), but tonight, it was not the case."

"I feel like it's been a common issue, and it's been biting us in the ass," Paolo Banchero said postgame. "But I can't really pinpoint one thing."

The loss dropped the Magic to 35-39 this season, still occupying eighth place in the Eastern Conference with eight games remaining. Had Orlando prevailed, it would've secured a top-10 standing in the East and, therefore, at least a Play-In Tournament berth.

Despite the result, Banchero led the Magic's scoring with 35 points – his fifth-straight game of at least 30 points.

He becomes the first player since Tracy McGrady in 2003 to accomplish that feat. Banchero joins McGrady and Shaquille O'Neal as the only players in franchise history to do so.

Franz Wagner scored 20 points on 8-of-21 shooting. Anthony Black finished with 14 points off Orlando's bench, and starting center Wendell Carter Jr. added 12 points.

Prior to the loss, the Magic were averaging just 12.0 turnovers and shooting 35.3 percent from three in the month of March.

But Orlando hampered itself with 17 turnovers – 10 from Banchero and Wagner – leading to 22 Mavericks points, and 5-of-30 shooting from distance fell short of Dallas' 11-of-23 mark from distance.

"I just think we could have been better about getting into our offense quicker," Banchero said. "I feel like we weren't really running as much tonight. We weren't getting out and running, and we weren't pushing the pace. We kind of let them dictate the pace of the game and I just feel like the communication was a little spotty out there."

For Dallas, Anthony Davis scored 15 points on 5-of-19 shooting in just his third game with Dallas since being traded for Luka Doncic. Injury has limited his availability since the seismic move at this year's trade deadline.

However, it was the Mavericks' reserves who did the most damage in the scoring column. Jaden Hardy (22), Brandon Williams (14) and Max Christie (12) each scored in double figures off the Dallas bench, which outscored Orlando's 57-19.

All 10 Dallas players to see the floor scored at least two field goals.

After a low-scoring struggle through 24 minutes, the Magic led by seven points at the break. Then, they had built an 11-point advantage more than halfway through the third quarter before the consequential work.

Orlando wasn't able to muster a response in the fourth quarter. Since Christmas, the Magic are now just 5-21 when being outscored in third quarters.

Up Next

The Magic's homestand continues Saturday, March 29 at 5 p.m. ET when the Sacramento Kings make their lone visit to the Kia Center this season.

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