5 points from the Mavericks' dominant win over the Magic

On Halloween night, the Dallas Mavericks weren't the same scary good team we saw just a few days earlier when they beat the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Dallas was slow out of the gates, and although they almost came back, they disappointingly lost at home to the Houston Rockets and went 3-2 on the season. This was an extremely winnable game for the Mavs, but the sluggishness of the offense and their inability to grab rebounds hurt them in the end.

Dallas had an opportunity to get back on track Sunday night at home against the Orlando Magic, and they did just that.

Dallas won this game 108-85 and Luka Doncic was finally able to get going early and set the tone for the game. Doncic's starts to games had struggled for the Mavs in a few games this season, and being able to start the game strong was a big step in the right direction for him.

With this win, the Mavs improved to 4-2 and showed how deadly they can be in spurts on both ends of the floor. Several Mavericks players put their stamp on this game early and often, and it was an all-around great performance from Dallas in front of their home crowd.

Naji Marshall started Sunday's game against the Magic after a good performance against the Rockets, and his positive play from the end of the game carried over into last night's game.

Marshall finished the game with four points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals, and while his scoring wasn't particularly high, everything else was. His defense continues to be great, but the biggest standout part of his performance against the Magic was his passing.

He proves to be an excellent liaison in transition, and his dynamism in the open field allows the Mavs to use him in countless ways.

Dallas' one-two punch at the center position is top notch, and Daniel Gafford got things rolling for Dallas early in this game. He scored at will at the rim and none of Orlando's big players could stop him deep.

Gafford finished the game with 18 points and eight rebounds, and the strong play from him and Dereck Lively II in this game showed how great they can be when fully committed and playing a favorable matchup. They just took what they could get and let the game come to them.

This was arguably Gafford's best game of the season so far, and they'll need more of his scoring tonight against the Indiana Pacers.

Before Sunday night's game, Luka Doncic wasn't playing his best basketball. He started the games slowly and made it his mission to get better after Thursday night's loss.

That's exactly what Doncic did against the Magic, and he set his sights early on to have a better game. He called his number a lot early on, and it worked in the end as he posted 32 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. He hit his 3-point shot quickly and his strong start set the tone for the rest of the game.

Doncic finally looked like himself, and the Mavs will need more great performances like this from him to remain one of the Western Conference's top performers.

Mavs fans typically know exactly what to expect from Kyrie Irving every game, and that trend continued against Orlando. Irving finished the game with 17 points, two rebounds, three assists and two steals, and his calm and smooth offensive play helped Dallas hold things together.

Irving hit hard, got to the rim and did all the little things that make him great. His ability to confidently execute contested shots is among the best in the league, and while his scoring numbers weren't as high as they've been lately, he and Luka Doncic were in complete control of the game.

Irving has a great sense of when to go for a basket or give it to Doncic, and that's what makes them so fearsome on offense.

Just looking at the box score, it would be hard to tell what impact Klay Thompson had on this game.

He finished the game with nine points while shooting 4-10 from the field and 1-5 from downtown, but everything except his 3-point shooting was excellent. Thompson hit hard mid-range shots off the dribble, and his gravity off the ball created so much space for everyone else.

The Magic defenders were forced to respond to Thompson on the perimeter, making things much easier for Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

Thompson's defense also continues to be a pleasant surprise, as he takes on the challenge of whoever Jason Kidd sends him and puts in a lot of effort in that regard. He finished the night with two blocks and his lateral movement is better than most Mavs fans imagined.

Thompson's passing and feel for the game continue to be excellent and he always seems to make the right play in transition. He loves seeing his teammates succeed, and even when he doesn't score big, his impact is felt.

Thompson has another chance to be great tonight against the Pacers at home.