ORLANDO – NBA teams don’t always know which player is going to give them a shot in the arm on a game-by-game basis. On
Thursday, the Dallas Mavericks got theirs from Jaden Hardy.
The third-year guard came off the bench to convert 5-of-6 three-pointers and score 22 points as the Mavs rallied from an 11-point second-half deficit to pull away for a 101-92 victory over an Orlando Magic squad that beat the Los Angeles Lakers by 12 points on Monday. The Mavs are 2-1 on this four-game trip that wraps up Saturday in Chicago.
The win enabled the Mavs to move into the Western Conference’s No. 10 seed with a 36-38 record – half-a-game ahead of the Phoenix Suns (35-38) and half-a-game behind the No. 9-seeded Sacramento Kings (36-37).
On Thursday, the Mavs fell behind, 68-57, with 5:17 remaining in the third quarter following a dunk by Paolo Banchero, who finished with 35 points and 10 rebounds. But that’s when the Mavs drew a line in the sand and took complete charge by outscoring the Magic, 20-2, over the final 4:46 of the third 
quarter to carry a 77-70 lead into the final quarter.
During that hot surge, Brandon Williams tallied five points and Hardy drilled a trio of three-pointers during an 88-second span. Anthony Davis (15 points, seven rebounds, 29 minutes) finished the game-changing rally with a late three-pointer as the Mavs gained control of the game and sucked some precious life out of the building.
“Hardy was great,” coach Jason Kidd said. “I thought he was good in the first half, but in the second half he made some big shots.
“And being able to play-make, he did a really good job. We were small, and that small lineup was great fighting for rebounds, and I th
ought the pace that Hardy and B-Will played with was really good tonight.”
Two free throws by Franz Wagner (20 points, nine rebounds) got Orlando within 94-88. But Hardy countered with a three-pointer that took two friendly bounces before falling through the basket, giving Dallas a 97-88 lead with 1:52 left.
“After we went in the locker room (at halftime), we knew we had to come out pushing the pace,” Hardy said. “Defensively, we wanted to get stops and come out and share the ball and attack our matchups that we wanted.
“That’s what I feel like we did differently and what led to the success in the second half. Each game we know it’s going to be a dogfight, so leaning on each other, that’s what we do.”
The Mavs played without Kyrie Irving (torn left ACL), Dereck Lively II (right ankle stress fracture), Daniel Gafford (right MCL sprain), P.J. Washington (left ankle sprain), Dante Exum (left fractured hand) and Olivier-Maxence Prosper (right wrist surgery). Unfortunately, this was another game that the snake-bitten Mavs suffered another injury to another key player.
This time they lost center Kai Jones to a left hip contusion seven minutes into the game for the rest of the night. Jones was injured when he received a lob pass from Naji Marshall, and skied high and dunked it, but fell awkwardly on the floor on his back.
While play continued, Jones laid on the floor for a bit before hopping up and making his way up the floor. Following a timeout, Jones went to the locker room while holding his lower back.
“That’s what happens when you jump too high,” Davis said. “He’s got too much bounce. But yeah, an awkward landing.
“But when he popped right up and he tried to run down the floor I didn’t believe it. But then the (stuff) kicked in for him. That’s when I went: That’s exactly how he
should be feeling landing right on his tailbone. He looked fine moving around, but I know probably when he wakes up (Friday morning) he’s probably going to be a little sore.”
The injury to Jones was a bump in the road for the Mavs. However, Kidd said his team is too focused on the task at hand to get caught up in their injury situation.
“Everyone in that locker room believes that they can play at a high level, and we try to put those guys in position to do that,” Kidd said. “They’ve responded in a positive way – the fight, the togetherness. You can see it on a nightly basis. The character is high.”
The Mavs shot 47.4 percent from the field (37-of-78) and 47.8 percent from three-point territory (11-of-23). They also outscored Orlando in the decisive third 
quarter, 34-20.
“We were in the game and we had a turnover and we fouled (Banchero with 0.9 seconds left in the second quarter while he was shooting) a three-pointer right before the half, and it took it to (50-43),” Kidd said. “But I thought to be able to outscore them in the third quarter by 14, that just shows the character of the group.
“We came out and fought and I thought we took control of the game with just playing fast. Our pace was really good. I thought the group did a really good job. We had some guys on minutes restrictions, so we’re trying to put the puzzle together with guys getting hurt.”
Another key sequence occurred when Williams (14 points, six assists) sprinted up the floor in one direction and swiped the ball from Wagner. Williams, in turn, then
sprinted back in the opposite direction and scored on a driving layup to give the Mavs an 87-79 lead with 6:59 remaining in the game.
“(Williams) kind of hustling back to come up with that steal, and then being able to use his speed the other way, that’s just something that we haven’t had,” Kidd said. “You know, that type of speed, and it’s something that is hard to guard.
“He can get to the rim, and then he can also make plays, and then he can shoot the three. Again, he’s playing extremely well at the right time.”
So, too, is Davis, who played his third game with the Mavs.
“I feel great,” said Davis, who was 5-of-19 from the field. “I put a lot of pressure on myself to be great.
“Everybody was telling me: ‘You missed six weeks and this is your second game back.” I’m trying to find a rhythm, but most importantly we got the win. Everybody played well, but I feel good. My body is feeling good.”
The Mavs also were able to get 12 points apiece for Klay Thompson and Max Christie on a night when they held the Magic to just 5-of-30 shooting from beyond the three-point arc for 16.7 percent.
“I feel like this one will really lift us,” said Hardy, who was 7-of-12 from the field. “We know we have to get the next win, and our focus is we have to get into the play-in (tournament) and finish the season out strong.”
X: @DwainPrice
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