The Orlando Magic get a break from their frustrated home fans when they open a two-game trip against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.
The Magic left their home court to boos after getting pummeled 130-101 by the visiting Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, a loss that dropped Orlando (40-36) two games out of the coveted sixth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with just six games left in the regular season.
By the time he and his teammates return home Monday to face the Detroit Pistons, Franz Wagner hopes the Magic will have done enough right on the road to earn a second chance from the faithful.
“Obviously, we feel the frustration from the outside,” he told reporters after Wednesday’s loss. “Trust me when I say that we are probably more frustrated in the locker room trying to figure this out. But this is the NBA. Judgment and frustration from the fans are all part of it. We get paid way too much money to play this game, so it is on us to figure it out.”
One reason for optimism is the return of Wagner, who missed 22 straight games with a sprained left ankle before getting 20 minutes in the loss to Atlanta. He missed all six of his 3-point shots and was 5-for-13 overall on a 12-point night.
He wasn’t the only Orlando player who struggled from the field. Three other starters — Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs and Wendell Carter Jr. — also missed all their 3-point attempts on a night when the Magic made just 6 of 32.
Seeing the defensively challenged Mavericks might help. Dallas has allowed the eighth-most points in the league this season (119.1 per game), including 120 or more points in 12 of its last 14 games.
The Mavericks are coming off consecutive losses to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Milwaukee Bucks, serving up 124 and 123 points in those games, respectively.
A bright spot for the Mavericks (24-52) as they’ve lost 16 of their last 19 has been Marvin Bagley III, who was acquired when Dallas sent Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards in February.
The 27-year-old has scored in double figures seven times in 18 games for Dallas, posting three double-doubles and nearly a fourth when he went for a season-best 26 points and nine rebounds at Portland last Friday.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd believes the pressure of being the No. 2 overall pick in the draft by Sacramento in 2018 has lifted as he’s made the fourth and fifth stops of his NBA career this season, which has helped bring out the best in the former No. 1 high school recruit in the 2017 class.
“Sometimes we all want to be someone else, and it just doesn’t work out,” Kidd noted to reporters when discussing Bagley. “The sooner you can recognize who you are, you can have success, which he was having this year even before he got to us.”
Unfortunately, Bagley sustained a bruised left shoulder against the Trail Blazers and hasn’t played since, missing the Mavericks’ back-to-back Monday and Tuesday against Minnesota and Milwaukee. He’s doubtful to return against the Magic.
The Magic and Mavericks will be meeting for the second and final time this season. Orlando got a game-winning dunk from Carter with 1.4 seconds left for a 115-114 home win in the earlier head-to-head last month.
