NBA scores and schedule for Tuesday: Mavericks need Kristaps Porzingis to step up; Hawks look for reboot

The Dallas Mavericks were all smiles Monday night after defeating the Orlando Magic.

With their eighth win in the last 10 games, the Mavs improved to 17-16 and climbed back over .500 for the first time since Jan. 22. After a sluggish start, the full rotation is healthy and Dallas appears to be turning a corner ahead of the NBA All-Star break.

However, the recent hot streak has not answered all of the Mavs' questions. Their biggest long-term uncertainty remains Kristaps Porzingis. Can he stay on the floor? And can he be the second option on a championship contender?

The 130-126 win over Orlando on Monday was emblematic of the Mavs' issues. Luka Doncic was sensational, finishing with 33 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists on 12-of-22 shooting from the field and 5-of-10 from 3-point range.

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Porzingis, though, was inconsistent, and the Mavs struggled to put away an inferior Magic team. Porzingis shot 1-of-9 in the first half and missed all six of his 3-point attempts. He bounced back in the second half to shoot 4-of-6 overall and 3-of-4 from long range.

Kristaps Porzingis is averaging 20.2 points in 19 games for the Mavericks this season. (Photo: Jerome Miron, USA TODAY Sports)

For the season, Porzingis is averaging 20.2 points on 46.9% shooting from the field and 34.2% from 3-point range.

Jalen Brunson picked up the Mavs Monday with 24 points off the bench, but that turn of events is far from ideal. Brunson is a fine backup point guard who can play crunch-time minutes next to Doncic. But he can't be their second-best player if they want to truly compete for the title.

Monday was Porzingis' second game back after missing three with back tightness. He missed the first nine games of the season while recovering from knee surgery. The Mavs will give him time to regain his conditioning, but the runway isn't that long. The second half of the season is going to be a hectic sprint to the playoffs.

"What I'm working towards is making sure my body is strong and durable that I can just play without thinking about anything, without worrying," Porzingis said last week.

The Mavericks are currently ninth in the stacked Western Conference. To climb the standings and give themselves confidence for the postseason, the Mavs need the strong and durable Porzingis to seize the role they envisioned when they acquired him.

Here are four more things to know today in the NBA:

West contenders meet

The Phoenix Suns have been the breakout team of the NBA's first half. Sitting in fourth in the Western Conference, they have an opportunity for a signature win tonight against the Los Angeles Lakers in a national TV matchup. Coming off a 43-point outing Sunday, Devin Booker said he's "looking forward" to facing the defending champs for the first time this season.

LeBron James recently called Devin Booker the most disrespected player in the NBA. (Photo: Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports)

Knicks back at it

After a day in the national spotlight, the New York Knicks return to the court tonight looking to maintain the momentum that has fans thinking about snapping their playoff drought. At 18-17, the Knicks are over .500 this late in the season for the first time since 2012-13. They're fourth in a tight Eastern Conference race heading into tonight's game against the San Antonio Spurs.

Circle the wagons

The Atlanta Hawks look to move on tonight against the Miami Heat in their first game after firing Lloyd Pierce as head coach Monday. Pierce was dismissed after compiling a 63-120 record in two-plus seasons with the Hawks. They entered the season with raised expectations after making big offseason moves, but they stumbled to a disappointing 14-20 start that cost Pierce his job.

Stars on a roll

Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are still on fire for the Denver Nuggets. The duo has seemingly alternated huge performances over the past two weeks while the Nuggets try to find their footing in the West race. They'll look to stay hot tonight in a marquee matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo has been on a tear of his own, and the Bucks just welcomed back Jrue Holiday from a bout with COVID-19.

Follow Matt Eppers on Twitter @meppers_.

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