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From Orlando Sentinel

MAVERICKS 107, MAGIC 98

Mavs put a damper on the beginning of Orlando Magic's 5-game homestand

Brian Schmitz | Sentinel Staff Writer
February 5, 2008

You could point to their first-quarter start or their fourth-quarter finish, and everything in between with a telestrator to explain it.

But there was no mystery to the Orlando Magic's 107-98 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night at Amway Arena.

The Mavs are an elite team and, when properly peeved, they can usually ruin whatever good vibes you've built.

In fact, the Magic could trace this defeat to what unfolded Super Bowl Sunday on national television in Auburn Hills, Mich., where the Detroit Pistons embarrassed the Mavs by 23 points. Owner Mark Cuban hadn't been that red-faced since he tried fox-trotting on Dancing With the Stars.

The Mavs (32-15) stormed to a big early lead against the Magic and weathered a late uprising, leaving Orlando's four-game winning streak in tatters and Hedo Turkoglu's first career triple-double a bittersweet footnote.

"Coach [Stan Van Gundy] reminded us that they got their butts kicked in Detroit, so they're going to come with a lot of energy and enthusiasm," point guard Carlos Arroyo said. "We knew what kind of team we were facing."

The Magic (31-19) were jolted to reality by the Mavs the same way the Pistons jarred them four days after they beat the Pistons on Jan. 21. The best teams have long memories.

"You go to Detroit, after we'd just beaten them and they're a little angry," Van Gundy said. "And you play Dallas, where they're coming off a bad one and are a little angry. When the other team comes with some juice, and they're a good team, we just can't match it early in the game. So we're digging out of a big hole.

"The game was decided in the first quarter."

Or maybe when the Mavs piled off the team bus.

"We wanted to be the aggressor and if it didn't come out our way, so be it," Mavs Coach Avery Johnson said.

The Magic started a season-long five-game homestand against five teams who made the playoffs last season. But they didn't really get going until about halfway through the final quarter after finally whittling a 19-point second-quarter deficit to three.

Trailing 83-80 after Rashard Lewis' 3-pointer, they had several possessions where they played solid defense. But they wasted numerous chances, leaving them only to agonize as the Mavs blunted rallies with the marvelous one-on-one skills of Josh Howard (28 points), Dirk Nowitzki (20) and Jason Terry (20).

Dallas punished Orlando 47-34 on the boards and shot 51.3 percent, cooling from a 62-percent first quarter in which it seized a 29-16 lead. The problem with spotting the Mavs 19 points is "you need everything to go right. If you're playing a team as good as Dallas, that's just not going to happen," Van Gundy said.

After Turkoglu grabbed his 10th rebound to give him the triple-double -- the first since Steve Francis (22 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) did it in 2006 -- he missed a lay-up. Turk came up short, typical of the frustration. The Mavs then ran off 10 consecutive points and that was that.

Lost in the loss was Turkoglu's effort of 13 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds. Earlier in the day, Turk had earned his second consecutive Eastern Conference Player of the Week honor, a first in Magic history.

Dwight Howard scored 28 points, but the NBA's rebounding leader had just seven rebounds, only two defensively. "One of the few times all year he didn't give much of an effort on the defensive glass," Van Gundy said.

Mo Evans had 16 points on 6 of 8 shooting, Keyon Dooling had 14, Lewis 13 and Arroyo added 12.

Although healthy, Jameer Nelson did not play in his second consecutive game, the decision all Van Gundy's.

Related topic galleries: Basketball, Amway Arena, Dancing, Orlando Magic, Dallas Mavericks, Carlos Arroyo, Steve Francis

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