ORLANDO, Fla. (Interstat) — Wendell Carter Jr. converted a last-second alley-oop from Jalen Suggs to lift the Orlando Magic to a 115-114 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night at Kia Center. The Magic erased an early deficit with a 34-point second quarter and held off a late Dallas rally. Paolo Banchero led Orlando with 16 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. Tristan da Silva scored 19 points off the bench. Klay Thompson scored 24 points for the Mavericks, while Khris Middleton added 19 points and seven assists. Rookie Cooper Flagg had 18 points, five rebounds, six assists and four blocks in the loss. Orlando improved to 33-28. Dallas fell to 21-41.

ORLANDO, Fla. (Interstat) — Wendell Carter Jr. converted a last-second dunk off a feed from Jalen Suggs to lift the Orlando Magic to a dramatic 115-114 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night at Kia Center. In a game that featured 18 lead changes and 11 ties, the Magic executed a perfect final sequence after a Dallas miss to escape with the win in front of a sellout crowd of 16,996. The Mavericks, who led by as many as 11 points in the first quarter, had a chance to win it on their final possession, but Cooper Flagg’s pull-up jumper from 13 feet was off the mark. Orlando’s Wendell Carter secured the rebound with 6.8 seconds left. Without a timeout, the Magic pushed the ball upcourt. Jalen Suggs drove into the lane and, as the Dallas defense collapsed, dished to a cutting Carter for a two-handed flush with 1.4 seconds remaining. After a Dallas timeout, a full-court heave was unsuccessful, sealing the Magic’s win. The frantic finish capped a game where neither team led by more than seven points after the opening period. The most important part of the contest was the Magic’s resilience in the final minutes. After falling behind 110-105 following a Khris Middleton jumper with 1:43 to play, Orlando closed the game on a 10-4 run. Tristan da Silva hit a critical 3-pointer and a driving floater to tie the game at 110, setting the stage for the final possessions. Paolo Banchero led the Magic with a versatile stat line of 16 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, orchestrating the offense down the stretch. Tristan da Silva provided a crucial spark off the bench with a team-high 19 points in just 25 minutes. Jalen Suggs added 17 points and seven assists, including the game-winning helper, while Wendell Carter finished with 15 points and seven rebounds, none bigger than his final two. For Dallas, Klay Thompson led all scorers with 24 points off the bench, hitting six 3-pointers. Khris Middleton added 19 points and seven assists. Rookie forward Cooper Flagg filled the box score with 18 points, five rebounds, six assists and four blocks, but was 8 of 22 from the field. Daniel Gafford posted a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds. The Mavericks started hot, building a 33-26 lead after the first quarter behind efficient early shooting. Orlando responded with a 34-point second quarter, fueled by 11 points from da Silva, to take a 60-62 lead into halftime. The Magic extended their lead to seven in the third, but Dallas chipped away, setting up the tense fourth quarter where the lead changed hands nine times. With the win, Orlando improved to 33-28 and maintained its position in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Magic have now won two straight and six of their last ten. Dallas, battling through a difficult season, fell to 21-41 with its fourth consecutive loss. The Mavericks have lost 12 of their last 14 games. The game defied the pregame expectations set by oddsmakers. Orlando was an 8.5-point favorite according to National Statistical’s ELO system, which gave the Magic an 82% probability to win. The combined score of 229 points also went under the projected total of 227.5. Orlando heads out for a two-game road trip, starting in Minnesota on Saturday. Dallas continues its road swing with a visit to Boston on Friday.

ORLANDO, Fla. (Interstat) — The Orlando Magic, holding firm in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, host the struggling Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night at Kia Center. Orlando (31-28) looks to rebound from a surprising 106-92 home loss to the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. The Magic had won seven of their previous nine games before that defeat, buoyed by the all-around play of forward Paolo Banchero. In his last 10 games, Banchero is averaging 22.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists, including a 36-point, 10-rebound performance in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 24. The Mavericks (21-39) arrive having lost three straight and eight of their last 10. They are coming off an 87-100 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday. Guard Max Christie has been a bright spot during the difficult stretch, averaging 14.6 points over his last 10 contests. He scored 14 points with seven rebounds in 35 minutes against the Thunder. Dallas has struggled defensively, allowing an average of 124.2 points during its three-game skid. Orlando’s offense, which put up 131 points in a rout of Sacramento on Feb. 19, will test that vulnerable unit. The Magic won the previous meeting this season, 118-108 in Dallas on Jan. 14. The matchup features a contrast in trajectories. The Magic, currently seventh in the East, are battling to secure a postseason berth. The Mavericks, near the bottom of the Western Conference, are playing for development and pride. Containing Banchero will be Dallas’s primary challenge, while Orlando must avoid a letdown against a team well below .500. Following this game, the Magic begin a two-game road trip at Minnesota on Saturday. The Mavericks continue a four-game road swing in Boston on Friday.