3 Studs, 2 duds in Mavericks' clutch win against the Magic

1. Stud - Kyrie Irving

A complete dud throughout three quarters, Kyrie Irving stepped up majorly to go from dud to stud in only 12 minutes. Irving led all Mavericks with a plus-18 plus/minus and scored 12 of his 21 points in the final frame.

And while Irving played inefficiently in the first three quarters, he still provided quality contributions elsewhere. The Dallas guard chipped in a game-high six rebounds and 10 assists.

It was Irving's second game in a row with double-digit assists. Throughout Irving's career, he's been a willing passer, but this season it's been different.

Albeit, it's a small sample size, Irving is averaging a career-high in assists at 7.3. And perhaps most importantly, the former Blue Devil is locked in on defense like never before. The Dallas run hinged on staunch defense, and Irving played a big part.

The Dallas guard recorded three steals and used his quickness to consistently stay in front of the Magic guards. Irving has been an asset in all facets of the game, and last night was no different.

The Doncic-Irving duo has already surpassed expectations this year. The success is in due part to Irving's contributions in other aspects beyond scoring. His passing has been phenomenal.

In the fourth quarter, both of his assists went to the other top scorers, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Luka Doncic. He has excelled at the drive-and-kick assist thus far.

For all the latest on Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and the Dallas Mavericks this season, stay tuned.