Dallas Mavericks Win a Nail-Biter Over Depleted Magic

The Dallas Mavericks came home with a very unsatisfying win after defeating the Orlando Magic, 99-96. The Magic were down 4 starters as most of the established players did not travel with the team.

It was not a pretty sight, but the Dallas Mavericks were able to pull off a win against the Orlando Magic, 99-96. Dallas suited up the whole squad minus the few injuries (Seth Curry, Jeff Withey, Johnathan Motley, and Josh McRoberts). Despite having most of the rotational players active, Dallas struggled mightily against a backup Magic squad.

The Mavs were led in scoring by rookie sensation, Dennis Smith Jr., who dropped 16 points, along with 7 assists, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block and 26 minutes. Harrison Barnes scored 14 in 24 minutes and Dirk dropped 10 in 21 minutes. Salah Mejri led the team in rebounds with 9 (in only 9 minutes!) while JJ Barea had 9 dimes in 19 minutes.

As will be the case for many Mavericks games this season, the game was not without entertainment. Be it a big dunk from DSJ, Harrison Barnes introducing a rookie to the league, or Dirk taking a very unconvincing charge, it was a fun game all-around. It is still the preseason, so we won’t get too worried about the performance just yet, but things could definitely look better for Dallas.

Let’s take a look at one good sign, one bad sign, and one sign we just aren’t sure about yet.

GOOD SIGN

Dorian Finney-Smith, JJ Barea, Devin Harris, and Nerlens Noel all looked pretty comfortable on the court tonight. Dallas is going to have to rely a lot on their second unit this year and there were definitely some questions about how that would turn out. As far as tonight goes, DFS looked great shooting 3-4 from beyond the arc for 9 points and Barea slashed his way to the rim easily multiple times.

Devin and Nerlens both had limited opportunities but capitalized on the ones they did get. Either way, the Mavericks second unit has a nice variety of talent and should be worth watching this coming season.

BAD SIGN

Wesley Matthews’ struggles from the three-point line are still here. The overwhelming evidence is that Matthews’ three-point shooting has seen its last days, and yet, like a BYU football fan still expecting bowl eligibility, Mavs fans continue to hope. Obviously one game is not going to determine his shooting percentage for the season, but 1-5 is not a good sign.

Matthews is only 2-8 in three games of preseason so far and has struggled finding open looks. Part of that is because of his lackluster shot choice, but really things need to change.

UNDECIDED

Brandon Ashley didn’t get any playing time tonight, which is a little interesting because of his excellent play over the summer. Many people thought that his skill set would give him a chance to make the roster, but tonight would seem to show something different.

Is this a sign that Dorian Finney-Smith has sealed his spot on the roster? Or could it be that another player has made his way in front of Ashley? Either way, it could be a sign that the Dallas Mavericks are getting ready to start making the necessary cuts before the season.

Next: No Exact Timeframe For Seth Curry in Recovery

The Dallas Mavericks may have had a close run in with the Orlando Magic tonight, but a win is a win and the team can move forward to Atlanta.