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Mavs lose Rondo, beat Magic

Feb 1, 2015 - 5:17 AM Orlando, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - In the absence of Rajon Rondo, Monta Ellis scored 25 points and handed out 13 assists to help the Dallas Mavericks beat the Orlando Magic 108-93 on Saturday.

Rondo was kneed in the face by a teammate 1 1/2 minutes into the game and left with a head injury.

After leading by as much as 27, the Mavericks' edge was cut to as little as five in the fourth quarter before they pulled away again.

"Monta Ellis carried us again," Dallas head coach Rick Carlisle said. "He was tremendous and made great defensive plays."

Tyson Chandler added 20 points and nine rebounds for Dallas in its second straight win, and Dirk Nowitzki netted 11 points.

Orlando lost an eighth straight game despite a 17-point, 16-rebound effort from Nikola Vucevic. Evan Fournier and Willie Green each scored 15 points.

"We have to come out with more of a sense of urgency, more aggressiveness," said Vucevic.

The Magic were able to cut into their deficit in the third quarter but still trailed 88-70 after three. They shot 3-of-7 from long distance in the period, including getting a pair of 3s from Aaron Gordon. They limited the Mavericks to 38.9 percent shooting, but Dallas was still 4-of-7 from beyond the arc.

Channing Frye and Green opened the fourth quarter with 3s for Orlando, and Ben Gordon's long-range shot 3 1/2 minutes into the quarter cut the Mavericks' lead to single digits for the first time since late in the first quarter.

Ben Gordon was ejected for arguing with the officials on the ensuing possession, but two minutes later, Frye hit another 3 to pull the Magic within five. The game would not get any closer. Dallas went on a 14-2 run following a timeout to restore some of its earlier lead.

Richard Jefferson kneed Rondo in the face after the players' feet became tangled and Rondo fell to the court. The Mavs point guard also hit his head on the hardwood.

His replacement, Devin Harris, keyed a 9-0 Mavericks run, starting it with a layup and finishing it with a 3-pointer to give Dallas a 22-9 lead. Dallas scored the last eight points of the quarter to lead 34-17.

The second quarter was much of the same. A 10-0 run for Dallas late in the half, with five points from Jefferson, gave the Mavericks a 59-34 lead. They led 66-41 at the break after Chandler blocked Ben Gordon's shot attempt as time expired.

Game Notes

Dallas is 13-0 on the road against Eastern Conference opponents ... The Mavericks have beaten Orlando in six straight meetings ... Dallas improved to 7-4 in the second half of back-to-back sets ... Mavericks forward Chandler Parsons missed a second straight game with an illness ... Orlando guard Victor Oladipo sat out with a sore Achilles.