Among Thursday evening's NBA preseason games was a meeting between the Orlando Magic and Dallas Mavericks. Orlando managed to pick up their first win of the preseason thanks to Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic. Here's the latest Mavericks vs. Magic game recap including top players, game statistics, and what's next for these two squads.

NBA game recap

In tonight's game, Orlando surged to a first-quarter lead, 31-20. They would end up ahead 64-46 at halftime. Dallas outscored the home team 27-26 in the third, but Orlando held them at bay in the fourth with a 22-16 finish.

In the end, Orlando collected a 112-89 home victory.

Aaron Gordon led the way for the Orlando Magic tonight. He hit 6-of-12 field goals for 17 points and also pulled down 10 rebounds. Nikola Vucevic was also a key contributor as he shot 6-for-11 and finished with 14 points. Three players also chipped in off the bench in the win as Mario Hezonja had 11 points while Marreese Speights scored 10 as did Jonathan Simmons.

On the losing side, the Dallas Mavericks received 13 points from their rookie Dennis Smith Jr. He finished with a 4-for-13 performance overall and 2-of-4 from three-point range. Dwight Powell had 11 points and six rebounds.

Yogi Ferrell came off the bench to give 12 points, four rebounds, and three assists, while Jeff Withey had 11 points and eight rebounds.

For tonight's game, the Mavericks only hit their shots at a disappointing rate of 33 percent, as they'd miss 61 of the 91 field goals they took. The team was 29.3 percent from long range. On the other hand, the Orlando Magic hit field goals at 47.7 percent and three-point shots at a 39.3 percent rate.

Dallas won the battle of the boards 55-49 but had 16 turnovers compared to 11 for the home team.

What's up next?

The Dallas Mavericks fall to 2-1 for their NBA preseason record with a 0-1 road record. The team is an enigma ahead of the upcoming season based on the fact they have an aging veteran star in Dirk Nowitzki, along with several newer stars in the making.

It's unknown if this team will be a legit contender in the West for a playoff spot. Next up on their schedule will be another game against the Orlando Magic, this time on Dallas' home court. That game takes place on October 9th at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

The Orlando Magic are now 1-1 overall for their exhibition games. This team isn't expected to contend for the Eastern Conference playoffs, but they seem like a team that could be fun to watch this coming season. Next up on their schedule is a Saturday night game against the Miami Heat starting at 7 p.m. Eastern Time.
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