The Orlando Magic will need to adjust with injured center Wendell Carter Jr. sidelined for the next few weeks, but altering their defensive focus won’t be among the changes.
The Magic have been one of the league’s top defensive teams early this season, and they’ll need another strong effort when they face the visiting Dallas Mavericks on Monday.
Dallas improved to 5-1 with a 124-118 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday. Luka Doncic scored 23 points, Grant Williams added 18, and Dereck Lively II contributed 15 points and 14 rebounds.
Orlando will play its second straight game without Carter, who fractured a third metacarpal in his left hand on Thursday in a win over the Utah Jazz. The sixth-year pro will be reevaluated in approximately three weeks.
Carter is averaging 9.4 points and 8.6 rebounds for the Magic, who have won two straight. Orlando boasts the league’s second-best defensive rating (103.5) and is second in steals per game (9.8).
Orlando faces a Dallas team that ranks fourth in the league in scoring at 121.3 points per game.
The Mavericks have been impressive during the fourth quarter of each of their wins this season, and coach Jason Kidd isn’t surprised by his team’s clutch play.
The Mavericks received another encouraging performance from Lively on Sunday, when he recorded his second double-double of the young season.
Williams has also played well in his first few weeks with Dallas following four seasons with the Boston Celtics. Williams is shooting 56 percent (23-of-41) from 3-point range through six games.
Dallas will confront a formidable Orlando front line on Monday, even with Carter sidelined.
Goga Bitadze started in place of Carter in a 120-101 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday and finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds in 26 minutes. Center Moe Wagner will also play a key role off the bench. The Magic are monitoring the status of Markelle Fultz (knee) and Gary Harris (groin), who are both listed as day-to-day (though reports late Sunday indicated Harris would miss the game). Rookie guard Anthony Black made his first start against the Lakers and scored 11 points in 30 minutes.
