The Orlando Magic traveled to Dallas Saturday night to take on Luka Doncic and the Mavericks. Saturdays game marked the return for two key players on both teams. For Orlando, rookie phenom Jalen Suggs returned for just the second time since November. Suggs made excellent work of his limited minutes against Dallas, recording 16 points on 7/11 shooting. Kristaps Porzingis made his return after two weeks of being sidelined due to Covid protocols.
Orlando’s struggles continued on Saturday night with a deflating loss. From the get-go, Orlando looked sluggish. The Magic rank 28th in offensive rating, and this game displayed exactly that. Scoring just 23 points in the first quarter and 20 in the second, the Magic couldn’t get a basket to fall whatsoever. The Magic recorded 15 turnovers and eight of which came in the first quarter alone.
When asked postgame about the Magic’s struggles and what went wrong, Point Guard Cole Anthony had this to say: “That was really the only thing to it. To win in this league, you’ve got to value possessions, try to get a shot every time.” Anthony was clearly frustrated and upset with the state of the game and the struggles that the 8-36 Magic face.
Dallas started off strong and just got stronger in this one. Kristaps Porzingis got the call in this one after clearing protocols. Porzingis started the game on a tear, scoring 12 of his 19 total points in the first quarter. Superstar Luka Doncic added 23 points in 31 minutes while securing nine rebounds and hitting 8/9 free throws. Shooting guard Jalen Brunson contributed 19 points on an efficient shooting outing. Brunson hit 8/11 shots from the field while facilitating the offense all night. These top players led to the Mavericks beating Orlando very handily.
Next Up
Orlando heads back home to take on Damian Lillard and the Trailblazers on Monday night.
(Featured image by Brandon Wade/AP)