– by Adesina O. Koiki
A Lot of Sports Talk editor-in-chief
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DALLAS — Though it’s just the preseason, the young Orlando Magic do not want to fall into the habit of falling behind big in games, which has highlighted their last two contests, both in the Lone Star State.
Though it’s just the preseason, the young Orlando Magic want to bottle up the fight and effort they’ve shown in coming back to win in both of those games, a promising sign for a team that must continue to learn how to win if it is to take a step forward in the middle of their rebuilding project.
Paolo Banchero, the No. 1 overall pick of this year’s NBA Draft, had his best game of the preseason on his way to 19 points as the Magic overcame an 18-point deficit at the end of the first quarter to defeat the Dallas Mavericks 110-105 in a preseason game at American Airlines Center on Friday night. Four Orlando players scored in double figures, including third-year pro Cole Anthony who had 12 points, five assists and four rebounds.
Orlando was down by as much as 21 before making its comeback, this coming off the heels of the Magic coming back from 19 down to defeat the San Antonio Spurs last night.
Luka Doncic scored 16 points in just 17 minutes of action, making six of his eight shots from the field, three of those makes coming from three-point range. New acquisition Christian Wood led the Mavericks with 23 points coming off the bench.
*Editor’s note: Above the byline is the photo gallery from Friday evening’s game, with all photos taken by Dallas-area photographer Ross James. After clicking on the first photo to enlarge the picture, make sure to press the left and right arrow buttons to scroll through the rest of the pictures. There are 22 pictures in total.
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