Mavs GAMEDAY: Luka Magic or Orlando Magic? Early Tip-Off Alert
The Dallas Mavericks look to stay hot in an early tip-off in Orlando and their final game of a three-game road trip. The Mavs have won eight of their last 11 games and the last three matchups with the Magic... However, the home team has won 11 of the last 12 meetings between Dallas and Orlando.
The 16-16 Mavs can reach over .500 on the season with a win, for the first time since January. The 13-21 Magic are dealing with a depleted roster but Nikola Vucevic is averaging 24.4 points and 11.6 rebounds per game. The veteran center, who just earned an All-Star bid, will be a challenge for the Mavs.
Kristaps Porzingis' return is a helpful boost. Healthy Porzingis scored 18 points with 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 3 blocks in Dallas' win vs Brooklyn on Saturday night.
These two teams faced each other on Jan. 9; a 112-98 Dallas win behind Tim Hardaway Jr.'s 36 points. During the Mavs' three-game winning streak vs. the Magic, Luka Doncic is averaging 26.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game.
[READ: Is Luka Like Harden? Nets Star Praises Mavs' Birthday Guy Doncic]
FUN FACT: Mavericks forward Wes Iwundu will face his former squad for the first time since leaving Orlando for Dallas.
ODDS: The Mavs are 6.5-point favorites and the total over/under is 221.
BETTING TRENDS: The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas' last 5 games. Dallas is 4-1 against-the-spread in their last 5 games against Orlando. The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Orlando's last 11 games.
RECORDS: DALLAS MAVERICKS (16-16) @ ORLANDO MAGIC (13-21)
WHEN: Monday, March 1, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. CT
LOCATION: Amway Center (Orlando, FL)
TV/RADIO: Fox Sports Southwest, NBA League Pass, ESPN 103.3 FM, Univision 1270 AM
FINAL WORD: Coach Rick Carlisle on Porzingis’ first game back from lower back tightness:
"I thought KP was terrific. He had good bounce. ... I thought his rim protection and defense was the best all year… Defensively tonight, he was all over the place. If you watch the game closely, he's in much more of a defensive stance tonight. It's the work that he's put in.”
