Game-winner pushes Magic past Cooper Flagg, Mavericks

A Wendell Carter Jr. game-winning jam pushed the Orlando Magic past Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks, 115-114, inside Kia Center. It was nearly another second-half disasterclass from Orlando after taking an 11-point third quarter lead, but Jalen Suggs and Wendell Carter Jr. (among others) had other ideas.

What were a few of our takeaways? Let's dive into it!

Cooper plants his Flagg in Orlando:

Magic Mavericks — Mar 5, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) controls the ball against the Orlando Magic in the first quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

This isn't Magic-related, but Dallas Mavericks rookie sensation Cooper Flagg returned from an eight-game absence against Orlando. He suffered a foot sprain before the All-Star break, visiting Kia Center for the first time in his pro career.

Flagg had to shake off some early rust. But he still played well, scoring 18 points with six rebounds and five assists. The shot wasn't quite falling, but he was most impactful on the defensive end, where he had four emphatic rejections, becoming the first rookie since Victor Wembanyama to record this stat line.

Cooper Flagg in his return:

18 PTS
5 REB
6 AST
4 BLK

The first rookie since Wemby to reach those numbers in a game. pic.twitter.com/w7Yed7Sqf8
— StatMuse (@statmuse) March 6, 2026

Even with his recent absence, the Mavericks rookie remains the favorite to win this year's Rookie of the Year award. You could feel his impact on both ends of the floor throughout the night, despite the result.

Magic avoid another late collapse:

The Magic's recent second half struggles are well-documented at this point.

This time, it arrived in the fourth quarter for Orlando, who missed 16 of its first 21 fourth-quarter attempts. Leading by as much as 11, Dallas crawled back and took a four-point lead courtesy of Flagg's three-point play with 37.3 seconds left.

However, Jalen Suggs was the team's hero. He knocked down a wide-open wing 3-pointer before dishing out a dime to Wendell Carter Jr., who flushed the game-winning two-handed slam to give Orlando the lead with 1.4 seconds left.

WENDELL CARTER JR. SLAMS IT FOR THE WIN! 🤯

Walk-off dunk with 1.4 seconds left to seal a thriller in Orlando. pic.twitter.com/0SDOJQU1w4
— NBA (@NBA) March 6, 2026

Magic fans can now exhale. You never apologize for a win -- ever! -- even if it makes you want to rip your desk into a million different pieces.

A strong finish to homestand:

Oct 22, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) reacts after a shot against the Miami Heat in the fourth quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Following two terrible losses to the Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons, the Magic closed their four-game homestand on a high note with wins over Washington and Dallas.

At the end of the day, 2-2 looks a lot better than 1-3, even though it's just a one-game difference. Orlando has one of the league's tougher schedules down the stretch. So any chance it has to build momentum is important -- especially in Franz Wagner's absence.

Bonus: How did this shot go in?

I don't know what law of energy (or physics) this play applies to, but look at this dandy!

i simply could not believe my eyes pic.twitter.com/ue3RPglE5Y
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) March 6, 2026

Every night, you see something new that you never thought you'd see. This fits that description!

Cooper plants his Flagg in Orlando:

Magic avoid another late collapse:

A strong finish to homestand:

Bonus: How did this shot go in?

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