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Mavs pin another loss on hapless Magic

Feb 21, 2013 - 4:40 AM Dallas, TX (Sports Network) - Vince Carter finished with 14 points and eight assists and helped the Dallas Mavericks pull away in the fourth quarter in their 111-96 victory over the Orlando Magic at American Airlines Center.

Carter was one of six Mavs in double-figures, as Shawn Marion and Elton Brand each chipped in 17 points to help cap a 4-1 homestand. O.J. Mayo added 13 points, while Dirk Nowitzki and Mike James contributed 12 points apiece in the win.

Arron Afflalo and Maurice Harkless paced the Magic with 21 and 20 points, respectively, and Nikola Vucevic totaled 16 points and 13 rebounds in the loss, Orlando's 15th in its last 16 games.

Dallas had a week off thanks to the All-Star break, while the Magic were coming off a double-digit loss to the Charlotte Bobcats on Tuesday. The rest certainly helped down the stretch, as the Mavs outscored Orlando, 38-17, over the final 14 minutes.

J.J. Redick, one of the most sought-after sharpshooters prior to Thursday's trade deadline, had a chance to give Orlando its largest lead at eight points late in the third quarter, but Mayo hustled back on defense and blocked his shot at the rim.

Mayo then raced down the court and threw an alley-oop to Carter to spark a 15-3 spurt that ran into the fourth quarter, with Jae Crowder's 3-pointer giving Dallas an 88-82 lead it never relinquished.

"[It was an] unbelievable momentum shift," Magic head coach Jacque Vaughn said of Mayo's block. "You've got to give credit to them for staying in the play and tracking it down. If that thing goes in we're up eight and the momentum is still in our favor."

Carter had eight points during run and highlighted a game-sealing 14-0 push with one of his four 3-pointers and a behind-the-back pass to Marion for a layup and an insurmountable 106-90 lead with under three minutes to play.

Orlando's starting point guard, Jameer Nelson, limped off the court with a leg injury during the run and did not return with the outcome no longer in doubt. Vaughn said after the game Nelson suffered left knee injury, but did not know the severity of it.

Carter's buzzer-beating 3-pointer ended a high-scoring first quarter that saw the Magic shoot 60 percent and the Mavs an even more efficient 64 percent en route to a 42-30 lead.

Things slowed down considerably in the second quarter, and the Magic were within 59-53 at halftime before taking their first lead, 62-61, on a Vucevic bucket early in the third.

Harkless scored 11 points in the frame to keep Orlando in front before the Mavs made their comeback.

"The third quarter wasn't good, but we recovered in the fourth," Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle said. "In the fourth quarter we showed we can (get stops)."

Game Notes

The road team had won each of the last nine meetings ... Vucevic has recorded 32 double-doubles this season ... Orlando has dropped nine straight on the road.