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

After having to rally against the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday night, the Dallas Mavericks found themselves in the same predicament last night.

Through two quarters, Dallas trailed 66-53. The largest deficit of the night was 15 points in the Magic's favor.

The Mavericks started the second half hot, scoring eight points in a row. Then, adversity struck. Luka Doncic bumped his head on a Magic player's leg. Doncic exited the game with a little over seven minutes to go in the third quarter.

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

Despite losing Doncic, the Mavericks went on a 23-to-12 run to lead the Magic. And to add insult to injury, Doncic returned from a brief hiatus to spark a big fourth quarter.

Doncic and Kyrie Irving scored 12 points a piece in the fourth quarter to extinguish Orlando's hopes of winning. Before the fourth, Irving had only scored nine points on an uneven shooting night. But the veteran guard proved his invaluableness to the team with a clutch fourth quarter, helping the Mavs defeat the Magic 117-102 and improve to 6-1.

5. Stud - Tim Hardaway Jr.

Playing Tim Hardaway Jr. is certainly a roller coaster. But, of course, that's how games go for volume scorers. The Dallas wing has either shot above 50 percent or below 40 percent from the floor this season, no in-between.

Hardaway Jr. shot 50 percent from the floor and 36 percent from beyond the arc in this contest. That efficient brand of shooting equated to 21 points. He also chipped in six rebounds on the night.

The Dallas sharpshooter has scored 20 points off the bench in three separate games this season. He's the only player in the league to reach this milestone thus far.

Other than his bench-scoring prowess, the veteran Maverick has stepped up in a big way; as a leader. Going into halftime with a large deficit, Hardaway Jr. sparked the team with a halftime speech.

Hardaway Jr. has played a big part in Dallas's success thus far. Besides Doncic and Irving, the starting lineup is filled with defense-first players. Hardaway Jr. can come in at any time and provide a scoring punch while providing strong leadership qualities.

4. Dud - Jaden Hardy

Similar to Hardaway Jr., the Jaden Hardy experience is about as up-and-down as they come. Hardy only played 11 minutes of action in this affair and wasn't able to get much going.

Hardy went 1-of-5 from the floor and 0-of-3 from 3-point range. If the youngster's shot isn't falling, he's not much of an asset. Hardy only corralled one rebound and accumulated one assist on the night.

The Dallas guard finished with the second-lowest plus/minus at plus-two. When his shot is falling, Hardy is a valuable contributor. But on nights like last night, his contributions are severely limited.

However, despite a so-so performance, Hardy's demeanor won't change. As evidenced by his attitude after two DNPs to begin the season, his mindset is focused on growth.

Hardy is aware of his offensive abilities, thus he knows an improvement in defense will keep him on the floor. During this contest, Hardy looked locked in on defense. He recorded a nice on-ball steal on Magic guard Cole Anthony and never looked overmatched despite defending athletic guards.

Continuing to hone in on defense will keep Hardy on the floor. Even though shooting wanes, hustle and defense tend to remain consistent. Adding improved passing and off-ball movement will only raise Hardy's potential a step further.

3. Stud - Luka Doncic

The superstar guard has done it again. There's no counting Luka Doncic out in any quarter, but the fourth frame is where he shines.

After a mediocre first third, Doncic exploded in the fourth quarter. This explosion came after an apparent head injury in the third. Doncic exited with seven minutes to go, only to return once the fourth quarter began.

Doncic scored 12 points, grabbed a rebound, and assisted on three makes in the fourth quarter. His MVP and Clutch Player of the Year campaigns are well underway after another strong shooting night.

Doncic knocked down 5-of-10 3-pointers, his fourth time this year knocking down at least 50 percent of attempts from beyond the arc. Previously, inefficiency has plagued Doncic, especially from distance. This year feels different for the Dallas star.

After six games, Doncic is shooting 48.9 percent from the floor and 40 percent from three. Despite shooting above 45 percent from the floor in almost every season, Donic has yet to shoot above 36 percent from downtown in his career.

Furthermore, Doncic went 6-of-6 from the free-throw line this game. Prior to tonight, he hadn't shot better than 90 percent in any game this year. Not only is Doncic efficient when it matters most, but he's also efficient throughout the entirety of every contest.

2. Dud - Derrick Jones Jr.

It was difficult choosing any duds in this comeback win. Unfortunately for Derrick Jones Jr., he falls under the dud category.

While Jones Jr. played good defense, he was absent for the most part on offense, save for a monster dunk and a corner 3-pointer, his specialties.

Alongside Hardy, Jones Jr. finished with only a plus-two plus/minus in a 15-point win. However, Jones Jr. played 28 minutes as opposed to Hardy's 11 in the contest.

On the plus side, he did record four rebounds and two blocks. But, his offense tends to come and go. The high-flying forward is the anti-Hardaway Jr. He's scored more than 17 twice and less than seven four times this season.

Jones Jr. won't typically be a detriment, as his athleticism and defense are difference-makers. But, his lack of offensive versatility can hurt the Dallas offense at times. Unlike his wing counterpart, Grant Williams, Jones Jr. isn't the most confident 3-point shooter.

When Jones Jr. is knocking down threes, his value is immense. But when he's passive from beyond the arc, his value only lies in his defense. Against the Magic, Jones Jr. remained on the floor because of his defense, but his offense never came around.

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.