Associated Press - Vince Carter racked up 21 points in his Orlando debut and Brandon Bass added seven of his 13 points in the final two minutes to lift the Magic to a 110-105 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in the preseason opener for both teams on Monday night.
Carter, who was acquired by the Magic in an offseason trade with the Toronto Raptors, scored 15 points in the third quarter. Bass was a key reserve for the Mavericks the past two seasons before signing a four-year free-agent deal with the Magic during the offseason.
Dallas travels to Orlando to face the Magic and their most voted All-Star ever, Dwight Howard, tonight at 7pm ET. Dallas (27-19) isn’t likely ready to face a contender like Orlando (36-10). While the Magic may not be of Celtics or Lakers caliber just yet, their trio of All-Stars in Howard, Nelson, and Lewis should be more than enough to overwhelm the Mavericks on the road. Of course, miracles DO happen on occasion (though apparently not in the post-season), so the Mavs could pull off a surprise victory if they can somehow manage to limit Dwight Howard’s effectiveness in the paint.
I DID mention it would be a miracle, didn’t I? Dwight Howard has 36 double-doubles so far this year. That is definitely a best-in-league stat. And without Diop’s defensive agility at backup center, Dallas doesn’t look to have much hope in that department. Howard leads his team in scoring, rebounds, and blocks, and is the most voted All-Star ever for a reason. Who can really stop him?
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Associated Press - Vince Carter racked up 21 points in his Orlando debut and Brandon Bass added seven of his 13 points in the final two minutes to lift the Magic to a 110-105 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in the preseason opener for both teams on Monday night.
