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Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) passes the ball past Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black, front left, as he falls backwards during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Nov. 6, 2023, in Orlando, Florida (AP). Photo/John Raoux)
ORLANDO, Fla. β Luka Doncic returned from a brief absence after hitting his head and scored 12 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter, leading the Dallas Mavericks to a 117-102 win over the Orlando Magic on Monday night.
Kyrie Irving and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 21 points as the Mavericks erased a 15-point deficit for the second straight night to earn their first consecutive win of the season.
Paolo Banchero led Orlando with 22 points. Cole Anthony and Mo Wagner came off the bench with 19 points each for the Magic, who led 63-48 late in the first half but shot 34% and made just one of 16 3-pointers after the break.
Doncic sat out the final 7:17 of the third quarter after hitting his head on the lower leg of an Orlando player when the Dallas superstar lost his balance while trying to clear a defender off the dribble.
Luka in the Mavs Wπ
29 PTS, 3 REB, 6 AST pic.twitter.com/cRi8jHup74
β NBA (@NBA) November 7, 2023
The four-time All-Star went to the locker room, but was back on the bench before the end of the third quarter and played the entire fourth.
βNo concussion protocol,β he said. “I mean, they checked, but it was all good.”
Doncic and Irving combined to score the final 13 Dallas points, scoring 23 of 31 points and having all five assists for the Mavericks in the fourth quarter.
βYou just have to pick your poison,β Hardaway said. βThey are two of the best on the floor in a pick-and-roll situation. The other three guys are just trying to do our best to make their jobs easier when they kick it out to us to suppress a shot or make a play.
Wagner scored twice on an 8-0 run late in the first half, and the Magic led 66-53 after a first half in which they shot 59% and had 20 assists on 26 field goals.
Dallas opened the second half with eight straight points to quickly get back into the game, but didn’t take the lead until Josh Green’s layup late in the third quarter.
Anthony had the only 3 for Orlando after the intermission, midway through the fourth quarter, after the Magic had gone 7-of-11 from deep in the first half.
βWe obviously did a lot of good things in the first half,β Anthony said. βIt always helps to hit shots, but we can’t let missed shots affect what our defense does.β
The Mavericks, who defeated Charlotte 124-118 after trailing 60-45 late in the first half, earned their sixth win in seven games with a 9-0 spurt midway through the fourth quarter.
Irving finished with 21 points, 10 assists and six rebounds with a plus-18 after shooting 4 of 14 in the first three quarters.
βI’m looking forward to the future and playing games like this where I can take my time as a point guard next to Luka and take some pressure off him,β Irving said.
The Magic played without center Wendell Carter Jr. (broken left hand), guard Markelle Fultz (left knee tendonitis) and Jonathan Isaac (sore left hamstring).
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Mavericks: Toronto at home Wednesday.
Magic: Atlanta in Mexico City on Thursday.