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Come Fan with UsTuesday, June 23, 2026

Mavericks Vs. Magic Final Score: Dirk Nowitzki Hits Ridiculous Game Winner

With 5:19 remaining in the first quarter of their game against the Orlando Magic, the Dallas Mavericks held a 15-14 lead. They would lose that lead a second later, and then would not regain the lead until the very end of the fourth quarter. They weren't able to recover from their poor play at the conclusion of the first quarter until the very end of the game, but when they did, they did it in spectacular fashion. Dirk Nowitzki hit the game-winning shot, guiding the Mavs to a 100-98 win.

Nowitzki’s shot was, even by his standards, pretty ridiculous. He used his trademark ... whatever that knee lift thing is ... to create some space for himself when there was no space, sinking the winner with just over six seconds remaining in the game.

Is one really allowed to do this? He didn’t even bother to jump! He just kneed Hedo Tukoglu -- who was playing excellent defense -- in the abdomen. Then hit a bank shot over him. Absurd.

Nowitzki had an excellent game, leading all scorers with 28 points on 9-18 shooting. He was also a perfect 8-8 from the free throw line. Dwight Howard was excellent with 19 points and 15 rebounds, while Jameer Nelson and Ryan Anderson were also effective offensively, but Orlando just didn’t get enough from their bench. J.J. Redick was 0-6 and the bench scored 16 points as a unit. In contrast, Jason Terry scored 17 points off the bench for Dallas while Delonte West scored 15.

For more on the Dallas Mavericks, check out Mavs Moneyball. Orlando Magic news and info can be found at Orlando Pinstriped Post while everything else one wonders about the NBA can be found at SB Nation’s basketball hub.

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