The Orlando Magic, losers of two straight contests and adjusting to life without leading scorer Paolo Banchero, continue their road trip in Dallas with the Western Conference champion Mavericks. Game time is 7:30 p.m.
Orlando is 3-3 after a 120-109 loss in Cleveland — the Magic’s first game without Banchero, who is expected to be absent a minimum four to six weeks with a torn right oblique muscle. Jalen Suggs scored a career-high 28 points for the shorthanded Magic, who also played without centers Wendell Carter Jr. and Goga Bitadze.
Dallas, 3-2 after a Halloween night loss to the Houston Rockets, had a transformative summer in hopes of returning to the NBA Finals this year.
Meet the Mavericks
Key Returners [2024-25 stats]
- Luka Doncic: 27.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 38.7 FG%
- Kyrie Irving: 24.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 59.4 3PT%
- P.J. Washington: 10.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.2 blocks
- Daniel Gafford: 9.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, 61.3 FG%
- Dereck Lively II: 9.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 70.4 FG%
Key Additions
- Klay Thompson: 15.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists
- Quentin Grimes: 3.2 points
- Nazi Marshall: 3.2 points, 2.8 rebounds
- Spencer Dinwiddie: 4.5 points, 1.5 assists
Key Departures
- Derrick Jones Jr. (LA Clippers): 10.2 points, 3.8 rebounds
About the Mavericks
The Mavericks entered the offseason with the sting of an NBA Finals loss to Boston fresh on their minds. They added more star power in hopes of coming closer to the likes of the Celtics who, after a 4-1 Finals win, raised their 18th championship banner.
Enter four-time NBA champion and future Hall of Famer Klay Thompson – one of the greatest shooters in league history and an integral part of the Golden State Warriors’ 2010s dynasty. Yes, he’d been brought in for his prolific scoring, but his championship pedigree is a worthwhile boost for a team in a window of contention.
Thompson is the third option behind the backcourt tandem of Doncic and Irving, who are combining for more than 50 points a game. Doncic’s efficiency is beneath what the league is accustomed to seeing from him — 38.7 percent on nearly 25 shots a game and 29.2 percent on threes. But his line also includes 8.4 rebounds and 6.0 assists.
Irving’s 24.6 points (47.9 FG%, 59.4 3PT%) is validating the Mavericks’ decision to trade for and then extend his contract.
Other notable numbers about the Mavericks:
- 14th in net rating (1.0), 16th in offense, 13th in defense
- 27th in rebounding percentage (47.4%)
- Lowest turnover percentage (10.7%)
- 23rd in pace
- 29th in free throw attempt rate (0.205)
