While three of their key players were out Saturday night to comply with the NBA’s medical protocols, the rest of the Mavericks were the image of health.
They did business in the form of a 112-98 victory over the Orlando Magic at American Airlines Center, their third consecutive victory, pushing their record to 5-4 above .500 for the first time this season.
The victory was not built on the shoulders of Luka Dončić, although he certainly did his part, but on the strength of sensational shooting from Tim Hardaway Jr. and Trey Burke.
Hardaway were back in the starting lineup because starting players Dorian Finney-Smith and Josh Richardson could not play due to the health and safety protocols. Key reserve Jalen Brunson is also missing.
All Hardaway did was fill in 30 points – in the first three quarters – with 16 coming in the third frame when the Mavericks fell behind, and then went up 85-75 in the fourth quarter. Hardaway finishes with 36 points.
Burke? After missing the game Thursday in Denver, he bounced back by hitting seven of his eight three-pointers and finishing with 29 points.
It was by far the best shooting performance of Mavericks for the season, as they were more than 50 percent off the three-point distance.
‘Trey Burke was spectacular. Hardaway was spectacular, “said coach Rick Carlisle. ‘Luka, you almost expect him to go for a triple-double type night. And we made a lot of other guys do a lot of good things. A very important victory of the situation in Denver. ”
The situation in Denver caused the Mavericks to be so short. But they kept up good performances from Hardaway and Burke.
And Dončić was not bad either. He carved the 27de triple of his career with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
It was a momentum-swinging third quarter that put the Mavericks in control. They lost the lead and were down 65-59 until Hardaway caught fire and set the Mavericks on fire 26-10 until the third quarter. They nursed the 85-75 lead to the finish line.
Carlisle gave Dončić great credit for not what he did on the pitch, but for what happened before the game. The Mavericks could not have a morning shooting due to the events in Denver.
“So we arrived here at five o’clock and I was really impressed with our level of focus and concentration,” Carlisle said. “And it all started with Luka. He was really called. He understood exactly what the situation was. He knew it was a game where we could not slide much. And he sets the tone. This is the sign of a man who is an excellent leader in a team. ”
Dončić just pulls it up.
“It has to be every game,” he said. “We try to win every game, whether we have six players or 15. But I think we did an excellent job today, especially on the defensive side.”
It makes everyone’s lives easier when shots go in. And Hardaway and Burke watched. They were a combined 23-out-33 off the field.
“They were hot players the whole game,” Dončić said. ‘You succeed, you know you’re going to get help. It was wonderful. “
Carlisle van Burke said: ‘He is a dangerous goal scorer. One reason I think he plays well for us is that he knows we have a lot of confidence in him. And he’s a man who can only get white hot. ‘
Burke, who underwent a COVID-19 quarantine before joining the Mavericks in the Orlando bubble last season, said he can definitely relate to what Brunson, Richardson and Finney-Smith are going through.
“There’s a lot of time for yourself,” he said. “And it can go in two ways. That’s going to be my encouragement for (those guys). This is a difficult time. But try to use this isolation time. Work on your soul and you will return prepared.
“That’s the nature of this league. You never know how things will turn out. This is all new to all of us. But I’m going to try to encourage those three guys not to sit on their own and we look forward to coming back. ”
For one night, Burke and Hardaway recorded all the relaxation, completing a difficult two-step tour of Texas for the Magic. After washing 42 points in Houston on Friday, they were rudely looted from the state on Saturday, though the Magic showed significantly more life than they had the night before against the Rockets.
This is the Mavericks’ ninth consecutive victory over the Magic in Dallas.
The win was also the 799de of Rick Carlisle’s coaching career. Another and he becomes the 16de member of the club with 800 wins in NBA history.
And it was a game that Hardaway could be very proud of. He has now played 30 plus points this past week as an appetizer and reserve.
“My job now is to be an energy generator, not an energy drain,” Hardaway said. “If I go there, just try to compete all the time.”
As for the coronavirus, Hardaway said: “Whatever the team finds out the fastest, they will feel good about themselves in the post-season. Unfortunately, there are three guys in Denver, but this is the next man-up. Those guys encourage it. ‘
Twitter: @ESefko