Will Kristaps Porzingis & Luka Doncic Play Tonight? Dallas Mavericks vs Orlando Magic: Preview, Lineups & Picks

The Dallas Mavericks will look to finish their three-game road trip through the Eastern Conference with a win over Orlando Magic. While they are still pretty much in the playoff contention in the West with a 16-16 record, their Orlando rivals look poised to miss their chance at the playoffs with a mediocre 13-21 record.

Date & Time: March 1, 2021, 7pm ET

Venue: Amway Center, Orlando

Preview | Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks are on the rise, proving that the Kristaps Porzingis’ trade rumors were just a minor blip in the road. Their win over the Brooklyn Nets must have given them a lot of confidence.

Talking about KP, the returning big man who is facing criticism for his languid defense this season, recorded 3 blocks and 1 steal. Overall, they restricted their opponents to less than 100 points, something they haven’t experienced very often this season.

But the medical staff has listed the Latvian as only probable because of lower back stiffness. Hopefully, for them, he shrugs it off and continues his tandem with Luka Doncic on the court.

Read More – NBA Trade Rumors: Three Teams That Can Look to Sign Kristaps Porzingis

Predicted starting 5 for the Dallas Mavericks

Guard – Luka Doncic

Guard – Josh Richardson

Center – Kristaps Porzingis

Forward – Maxi Kleber

Forward – Dorian Finney-Smith

Preview | Orlando Magic

The Magic is admittedly not one of the most appealing teams in the NBA. They fell to their third straight loss against Utah Jazz. This is all despite the heroics of their all-star Nikola Vucevic.

He posted 34 points to record his 8th game with 30 or more points this season. They need someone else to step up as well. But a setback for them is the unavailability of three-point specialist James Ennis III, who remains out because of a calf injury.

Predicted Starting 5 for the Orlando Magic

Guard – Michael Carter-Williams

Guard – Evan Fournier

Center – Nikola Vucevic

Forward – Al-Farouq Aminu

Forward – Dwayne Bacon

Pick | Dallas Mavericks

This should be an easy win for the Mavs. They are 14-0 this season whenever they lead after the first quarter. This explains the importance of coming out of the blocks quickly for them.

Although they have some issues at the clutch in the fourth quarter, the game should long be in the bag by then for Dallas. They are the heavy favorites to come away with a win here. Any other result would be a massive dent in their playoff hopes.