“We Knew We Had to Push the Pace”: Jaden Hardy Ignites Mavericks’ Rally Past Magic

On a night when the Dallas Mavericks were without six key players and lost another to injury in the opening minutes, Jaden Hardy delivered a timely scoring punch to lead a short-handed group past the Orlando Magic.

Hardy came off the bench and poured in 22 points, knocking down five of his six attempts from beyond the arc in a 101-92 win Thursday night at Kia Center. His biggest moment came late in the fourth quarter, when he buried a three-pointer that bounced twice on the rim before falling through, giving Dallas a 97-88 lead with 1:52 left to help put the game out of reach.

“After we went in the locker room (at halftime), we knew we had to come out pushing the pace,” Hardy said. “Defensively, we wanted to get stops and come out and share the ball and attack our matchups that we wanted. That’s what I feel like we did differently and what led to the success in the second half.”

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The Mavericks trailed 68-57 with just over five minutes remaining in the third quarter before Hardy erupted with a trio of three-pointers in a 90-second span. Dallas closed the period on a 20-2 run, capped by a triple from Anthony Davis, to take a 77-70 lead into the final frame. Hardy finished 7-of-12 from the floor in 28 minutes, continuing his stretch of impactful play while the team works through multiple injuries.

“Hardy was great,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “I thought he was good in the first half, but in the second half he made some big shots. And being able to play-make, he did a really good job. We were small, and that small lineup was great fighting for rebounds. The pace that Hardy and B-Will played with was really good tonight.”

Davis, appearing in just his third game with the Mavericks after being acquired from the Lakers on Feb. 2, recorded 15 points and seven rebounds in 29 minutes. Though he shot just 5-of-19 from the field, his presence on both ends helped stabilize Dallas in key moments. The performance marked the first time Davis exceeded his 24-to-28-minute limit since returning from a strained left adductor.

“I feel great,” Davis said. “I put a lot of pressure on myself to be great. Everybody was telling me, ‘You missed six weeks and this is your second game back.’ I’m trying to find a rhythm, but most importantly we got the win. Everybody played well, but I feel good. My body is feeling good.”

Kidd said Davis’ return was about more than just minutes. It was about leadership and commitment to the group as they push for a postseason spot.

“The injury came at the wrong time,” Kidd said. “He was playing extremely well in that two-and-a-half quarters against Houston. When you talk about leadership, he wanted to get back on the court. He could easily have been ruled out for the rest of the season and no one would have questioned that. But to come back — it just shows the character and what he cares about.”

With the win, Dallas improved to 36-38, half a game ahead of the Phoenix Suns for 10th in the Western Conference standings. Orlando, now 35-39, remained in eighth place in the Eastern Conference and has lost seven of its last eight home games.

Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 35 points and 10 rebounds, his ninth game with at least 30 points in his last 14. Franz Wagner added 20 points and nine rebounds, but Orlando shot just 5-of-30 (16.7%) from beyond the arc and never recovered after the Mavericks’ third-quarter surge.

The Mavs were again missing Kyrie Irving (torn left ACL), Dereck Lively II (right ankle stress fracture), Daniel Gafford (right MCL sprain), P.J. Washington (left ankle sprain), Dante Exum (fractured left hand), and Olivier-Maxence Prosper (right wrist surgery). That list grew early in the game when center Kai Jones exited with a left hip contusion just seven minutes in, after taking a lob from Naji Marshall and landing awkwardly following a dunk.

“That’s what happens when you jump too high,” Davis said, smiling. “He’s got too much bounce. But yeah, an awkward landing. He looked fine moving around, but I know probably when he wakes up (Friday morning) he’s probably going to be a little sore.”

Jones had emerged as one of the Mavericks’ more pleasant surprises late in the season. Signed to a two-way contract on March 2, the 2021 first-round pick had averaged 14.2 points and 8.6 rebounds with Dallas entering Thursday. His ability to protect the rim, finish lobs, and rebound had helped fill the void left by multiple frontcourt injuries.

“When you look at what Kai’s done, he’s done it at a high level — being able to score and rebound and change shots and give us minutes as a big,” Kidd said. “His ability to change shots and play-make has been really good for us.”

P.J. Washington, who played with Jones in Charlotte from 2021 to 2023, has seen firsthand how far the 6-foot-11 center has come.

“His athleticism is off the roof,” Washington said. “He can be a really good player in this league. He’s grown mentally as a player, understanding coverages. Obviously, his athleticism is out of this world, so I think the sky’s the limit for him.”

Magic coach Jamahl Mosley credited Jones for the energy and physicality he brings.

“He’s been a great pick-and-roll player offensively — a lob threat and (grabbing) offensive rebounds,” Mosley said. “His ability to put pressure on the rim offensively, but then defensively being able to be a rim protector as well… his activity and his energy, you can see it’s contagious with that group.”

Despite his early exit, Jones’ impact on the team has already been felt. His teammates, particularly Davis, have taken note.

“I watched him from afar when I was young,” Jones said of Davis. “His post-up game and his ability to create action on offense by setting good screens and rolling to the rim were great. I picked up some little things — his mid-post game, touch shots around the rim.”

The game itself was a grind early. The first six minutes produced just eight total points as both teams started ice cold. Dallas led 19-17 after one, and Kidd said the tone resembled basketball from a different era.

“No one could score to start the first quarter — six minutes it was a 4-4 game,” Kidd said. “It was ’80s, maybe ’90s type basketball where it was a lot of good looks that just didn’t go down.”

But the Mavericks found their rhythm when it mattered. Max Christie and Klay Thompson added 12 points apiece, and Williams provided a steady hand off the bench with 14 points and six assists. One of the key plays of the night came in the fourth when Williams stripped Wagner near midcourt and went coast-to-coast for a layup that made it 87-79.

“(Williams) kind of hustling back to come up with that steal, and then being able to use his speed the other way — that’s just something that we haven’t had,” Kidd said. “He can get to the rim, and then he can also make plays, and then he can shoot the three. Again, he’s playing extremely well at the right time.”

The Mavericks shot 47.4% from the field and 47.8% from deep (11-of-23), while holding Orlando to 42 second-half points. The 34-20 third-quarter advantage proved pivotal.

“I feel like this one will really lift us,” Hardy said. “We know we have to get the next win, and our focus is we have to get into the play-in and finish the season out strong.”

Dallas wraps up its road trip Saturday in Chicago against the Bulls.