J.J. Barea chewed up the Orlando Magic defense on Tuesday, finishing with eight points and 12 assists off the bench in a 114-99 victory. Dirk Nowitzki started the week on the right foot, chipping in 20 points against an undisciplined Magic frontcourt. The Mavericks went on a 14-3 run to close out the game, with Dennis Smith Jr. knocking down a mid-range jumper that sent the reserves in for the final few possessions. The Mavericks walked off the court and onto a plane, traveling to North Carolina to face off against the Hornets. Despite the challenge presented by the back-to-back, they prevailed for a 115-111 victory, with Dirk Nowitzki showing Malik Monk how difficult it is to guard him on his way to 19 points in the game. Dennis Smith Jr. made two free throws with 19 seconds left after getting fouled on a drive to the rim, and they hung on for their fifteenth win of the season. The Mavericks weren’t able to stop Dallas-native Julius Randle in their final game of the week, losing to the Lakers in overtime, 107-101.