5 Studs from Mavericks' dominant blowout win over Magic

On Halloween night, the Dallas Mavericks were not the same scary-good team that we saw defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves just a few days before.

Dallas came out of the gates slow, and despite nearly coming all the way back, they disappointingly lost to the Houston Rockets at home to drop to 3-2 on the season. This was an extremely winnable game for the Mavs, but the clunkiness of the offense and their inability to pull rebounds hurt them in the end.

Dallas had the opportunity to get back on track on Sunday night at home against the Orlando Magic, and that's exactly what they did.

5 Studs from Mavericks' dominant blowout win over Magic

Dallas went on to win this game 108-85, and Luka Doncic was finally able to get going early and set the tone for the game. Doncic's starts to games had plagued the Mavs in some of the games this season, and it was a huge step in the right direction for him to be able to start the game strong.

With this win, the Mavs improved to 4-2, and they showed how deadly they can be on both ends of the floor in spurts. Several Mavericks players left their mark on this game early and often, and it was an all-around great performance by Dallas in front of the home crowd.

Stud - Naji Marshall

Naji Marshall entered Sunday's game against the Magic after a good showing against the Rockets, and his positive play from the end of that game carried over into last night's game.

Marshall ended the game with four points, five rebounds, five assists, and two steals, and even though his scoring wasn't huge, everything else was. His defense continues to be great, but the biggest standout part of his performance against the Magic was his passing.

He is proving to be an excellent connector in transition, and his dynamism in the open floor allows the Mavs to use him in countless ways.

Stud - Daniel Gafford

Dallas' one-two punch at the center position is elite, and Daniel Gafford got things rolling for Dallas early on in this game. He was scoring at will around the rim, and none of Orlando's bigs could stop him down low.

Gafford finished with 18 points and eight rebounds, and he and Dereck Lively II's strong play in this game showed how great they can be when they are fully engaged and playing a favorable matchup. They were just taking what they could get, and letting the game come to them.

This was arguably the best game of the season for Gafford so far, and they'll need more of his scoring down low against the Indiana Pacers tonight.

Stud - Luka Doncic

Before Sunday night's game, Luka Doncic was not playing his best basketball. He was starting the games slow, and he took it upon himself to be better after Thursday night's loss.

That's exactly what Doncic did against the Magic, and he was dedicated to having a better game early on. He called his number often early on, and it ended up working out as he finished with 32 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. He got his 3-point shot going quickly, and his strong start set the tone for the rest of the game.

Doncic finally looked like his normal self, and the Mavs will need more huge performances like this from him to remain one of the Western Conference powerhouses.

Stud - Kyrie Irving

Mavs fans typically know exactly what they are going to get out of Kyrie Irving every game, and that trend continued against Orlando. Irving finished with 17 points, two rebounds, three assists, and two steals, and his calm and smooth offensive game helped hold things together for Dallas.

Irving was hitting tough shots, getting to the rim, and doing all of the little things that make him great. His ability to hit contested shots with confidence is among the best in the league, and although his scoring numbers weren't as high as they've been lately, he and Luka Doncic had full control of the game.

Irving has a great feel for when to go get a bucket or when to defer to Doncic, and that's what makes them so scary on offense.

Stud - Klay Thompson

If you were to only look at the box score, it would be hard to tell how much of an impact Klay Thompson had on this game.

He finished with nine points while shooting 4-10 from the field and 1-5 from downtown, but everything outside of his 3-point shooting was excellent. Thompson was hitting tough mid-range shots off the dribble, and his off-ball gravity created so much space for everyone else.

Magic defenders were forced to stay home on Thompson on the perimeter, and this makes things so much easier on Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

Thompson's defense also continues to be a pleasant surprise, as he embraces the challenge of whoever Jason Kidd tells him to guard and brings great effort on that end. He finished with two blocks on the night, and his lateral movement is better than most Mavs fans imagined.

Thompson's passing and feel for the game also continue to be excellent, and he always seems to make the right play in transition. He loves to see his teammates succeed, and even when he isn't putting up big scoring numbers, his impact is felt.

Thompson has another chance to be great tonight against the Pacers at home.