Wendell Carter Jr. 28 points vs Mavericks (Apr 3, 2026): 3rd-best of 70 games
28 PTS · 8-of-16 FG · 2-of-3 3P · 10-of-10 FT · 35:51 MIN
Usual before this game: 11.7 PTS · 8.2 FGA · 29.4 MIN, from 69 regular-season games
3rd-best Game Score of the 70 games the source holds this season: 21.1 against a usual 10.4 (+10.7)
Season-high 28 points among the games the source holds (previous high 26, set on Dec 18, 2025)
above usual
No more than 5 in 100 games by players at this level finish this far above their usual.
For a player who plays every game, a game this far above the usual comes about 2 to 4 times a season.
How the score worksWhy did Wendell Carter Jr. score 28 points?
In 35:51 against the Mavericks on Apr 3, 2026, Wendell Carter Jr. scored 28 points: 8-of-16 from the field (50.0%), 2-of-3 from three, 10-of-10 on free throws (100.0%). Before this game, Carter averaged 11.7 points on 8.2 shots in 29.4 minutes across 69 regular-season games. No earlier game the source holds this season reached 28 points. This game had the 3rd-best Game Score of the 70 games the source holds this season. Shot attempts: 16, against a usual 8.2. Carter shot 50.0% from the field, against a usual 51.1%. By shot type: free throws 10 points (usual 2.4); two-pointers 12 points (usual 6.6); threes 6 points (usual 2.7). Playing time was 35:51, against a usual 29.4 minutes; per 36 minutes, the Game Score was 21.2, against a usual 12.7. The Magic won 138-127 at the Mavericks. The box score records what changed, not why: it holds no injury, matchup or coaching information.
Generated from the box score and this season's game log. How the score works
What changed
Carter in this game against the usual line
| Stat | This game | Usual (69 games) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 35:51 | 29.4 | +6.5 |
| Points | 28 | 11.7 | +16.3 |
| Shots (FGA) · FG% | 16 · 50.0% | 8.2 · 51.1% | +7.8 · -1.1 |
| 3PA · 3P% | 2-of-3 | 2.9 · 30.5% | +0.1 |
| FTA · FT% | 10 · 100.0% | 3.0 · 79.8% | +7.0 · +20.2 |
| Rebounds | 6 | 7.6 | -1.6 |
| Assists | 3 | 2.0 | +1.0 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1.3 | +0.7 |
| UsageUsual: minutes-weighted average of per-game usage, 69 games | 25.8 | 15.8 | +10.0 |
| Game Score per 36 minutes | 21.2 | 12.7 | +8.5 |
Points by shot type
Twos, threes and free throws: the changes add up to the points change
| Shot type | This game | Usual (69 games) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Threes | 6 (2-of-3) | 2.7 (0.9-of-2.9) | +3.3 |
| Twos | 12 (6-of-13) | 6.6 (3.3-of-5.3) | +5.4 |
| Free throws | 10 (10-of-10) | 2.4 (2.4-of-3.0) | +7.6 |
| Total | 28 | 11.7 | +16.3 |
Game Score
One measure of the whole box score line
21.1 against a usual 10.4 (+10.7)
Its five parts
| Part | Change |
|---|---|
| Scoring, net of shot attempts | +12.6 |
| Rebounds | -0.5 |
| Assists | +0.7 |
| Steals and blocks | -1.2 |
| Turnovers and fouls | -0.9 |
| Total | +10.7 |
Season so far
Regular season, in date order
3rd-best Game Score of the 70 games the source holds this season.
Context
From the rows this page already reads
- The Magic won 138-127 at the Mavericks.
- Previous appearance: Apr 1, 2026, 2 days earlier.
- Earlier regular-season meetings with the Mavericks this season: 15 points (Mar 5, 2026).
- The source holds fewer Magic games than this season has, so season highs, lows and ranks count only the games it holds.
What this page cannot tell you
The same on every performance page
Box scores record what happened, not why: no injuries or health, defensive assignments, matchups, coaching decisions or play-by-play.
Game Score against the player's own usual line. How rare a gap is comes from NBA regular-season games of 2023-24 and 2024-25, checked on 2025-26.