NBA Game Summary - Orlando at Dallas
(Wednesday, February 20th)
Final Score: Dallas 111, Orlando 96
Dallas, TX (Sports Network) - Vince Carter finished with 14 points and eight
assists and helped the Dallas Mavericks pull away in the fourth quarter in
their 111-96 victory over the Orlando Magic at American Airlines Center.
Carter was one of six Mavs in double-figures, as Shawn Marion and Elton Brand
each chipped in 17 points to help cap a 4-1 homestand. O.J. Mayo added 13
points, while Dirk Nowitzki and Mike James contributed 12 points apiece in the
win.
Arron Afflalo and Maurice Harkless paced the Magic with 21 and 20 points,
respectively, and Nikola Vucevic totaled 16 points and 13 rebounds in the
loss, Orlando's 15th in its last 16 games.
Dallas had a week off thanks to the All-Star break, while the Magic were
coming off a double-digit loss to the Charlotte Bobcats on Tuesday. The rest
certainly helped down the stretch, as the Mavs outscored Orlando, 38-17, over
the final 14 minutes.
J.J. Redick, one of the most sought-after sharpshooters prior to Thursday's
trade deadline, had a chance to give Orlando its largest lead at eight points
late in the third quarter, but Mayo hustled back on defense and blocked his
shot at the rim.
Mayo then raced down the court and threw an alley-oop to Carter to spark a
15-3 spurt that ran into the fourth quarter, with Jae Crowder's 3-pointer
giving Dallas an 88-82 lead it never relinquished.
"[It was an] unbelievable momentum shift," Magic head coach Jacque Vaughn said
of Mayo's block. "You've got to give credit to them for staying in the play
and tracking it down. If that thing goes in we're up eight and the momentum is
still in our favor."
Carter had eight points during run and highlighted a game-sealing 14-0 push
with one of his four 3-pointers and a behind-the-back pass to Marion for a
layup and an insurmountable 106-90 lead with under three minutes to play.
Orlando's starting point guard, Jameer Nelson, limped off the court with a leg
injury during the run and did not return with the outcome no longer in doubt.
Vaughn said after the game Nelson suffered left knee injury, but did not know
the severity of it.
Carter's buzzer-beating 3-pointer ended a high-scoring first quarter that saw
the Magic shoot 60 percent and the Mavs an even more efficient 64 percent en
route to a 42-30 lead.
Things slowed down considerably in the second quarter, and the Magic were
within 59-53 at halftime before taking their first lead, 62-61, on a Vucevic
bucket early in the third.
Harkless scored 11 points in the frame to keep Orlando in front before the
Mavs made their comeback.
"The third quarter wasn't good, but we recovered in the fourth," Mavs head
coach Rick Carlisle said. "In the fourth quarter we showed we can (get
stops)."
Game Notes
The road team had won each of the last nine meetings ... Vucevic has recorded
32 double-doubles this season ... Orlando has dropped nine straight on the
road.
02/20 23:38:46 ET

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