Mavericks destroy narrative that has plagued them all season in win over Magic

Noah Weber

Orlando Magic v Dallas Mavericks / Tim Heitman/GettyImages

One of the biggest knocks about the Dallas Mavericks all season long has been their inability to hold leads.

Dallas sometimes lets teams crawl back into the game that shouldn't be in the game, but Monday night was a different story.

The Mavs went into halftime down by 16 points, and things were not looking great. Luka Doncic looked extremely fatigued and the Orlando Magic couldn't miss.

Mavericks destroy narrative that has plagued them all season in win over Magic

But in the second half, the Mavs battled all the way back to win 131-129. This comeback was surged by Doncic, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Jaden Hardy, as this trio combined for 101 points. This was easily one of the best games of Hardy's career, as he flashed his ability as a playmaker and finished with seven assists.

Hardy said he felt comfortable as a facilitator tonight, and his growth in that area is evident. He also said that this is something that he has been focussed on with the coaching staff, as they push him to continue to be aggressive while also making plays for others.

Hardaway Jr. dominated down the stretch, as he finished with 36 points and eight rebounds, and his 3-point shooting ignited the Mavs. He shot 5-9 from downtown and hit multiple corner 3-pointers to keep Dallas in striking distance with Orlando.

Tonight was such a big deal and a great win for the Mavs because of how they battled all the way back and won rather than crumble. The Mavs flipped the narrative that they can't hold leads by battling back and defeating a tough Magic team.

Doncic was once again phenomenal in this one, as he finished with 45 points, nine rebounds, and 15 assists. He was scoring at will, and his passing was absolutely elite in the second half. Doncic has been a monster since his 73-point game, and his leadership on both ends of the floor helped the Mavs win.

The Mavs' next game is on Wednesday night agaist the Minnesota Timberwolves.

For all the latest on Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks, stay tuned.

Noah Weber

Noah Weber is the Site Expert for The Smoking Cuban, covering the Dallas Mavericks as a credentialed media member since the 2022-23 season. With a Bachelor of Science in Sports Media from Oklahoma State University, Noah has worked in sports journalism since 2019. While he's covered the Dallas Cowboys and Oklahoma State Cowboys, he has now established himself as a go-to voice for Mavericks coverage. Noah's expertise includes in-depth game analysis, social media content creation, and offering unique perspectives through his reporting. His work has been featured on major platforms such as ESPN, Bleacher Report, and Overtime. During his time at Oklahoma State, Noah won first place in the Oklahoma Broadcast Education Association Awards for a show he co-produced. Outside of covering the Mavs, Noah enjoys working out, playing basketball and Spikeball, and spending quality time with friends and family.