No Paolo, No Problem: Magic Use Defense to Beat Mavs

The Orlando Magic is back in the win column with a 94-87 win against the Dallas Mavericks. The victory snaps

Jeremy Brener | Nov 9, 2022

No Paolo, No Problem: Magic Use Defense to Beat Mavs /

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is celebrating after snapping a two-game losing streak by way of defeating the Dallas Mavericks 94-87 Wednesday evening at the Amway Center.

Despite playing without No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero and adapting to the start time change 90 minutes earlier due to the impending Tropical Storm Nicole, the Magic fought through adversity and pulled off the win against the Mavericks.

A key reason behind the victory for the Magic came on the glass, as Orlando out-rebounded Dallas 45-25 during the game.

The Magic and Mavericks played toe-to-toe throughout the game, but Orlando pulled ahead in the fourth quarter with a 17-6 run to build some distance from Dallas.

The team also saw a massive improvement on the defensive end compared to the previous games on the homestand. Orlando allowed over 129 points per game in each of the last three contests at the Amway Center, but the Magic held the Mavs to 37.6 percent shooting from the field and 26.2 percent from beyond the three-point line.

Offensively, the Magic stuck to its identity, winning by committee. Second-year pro Franz Wagner led the way with 22 points, making him one of five Magic players to score in double figures.

The Magic will hunker down for the storm Thursday, but hope to return to action Friday when the Phoenix Suns come to town. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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Published Nov 9, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.