The Dallas Mavericks opened a three-game homestand against the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday. The Mavericks defeated the Hornets 103-96 at the American Airlines Center. Dallas improved to 32-28 while Charlotte fell to 14-44. Thursday’s game didn’t draw as much attention as Tuesday’s in Los Angeles, but Josh Green returned to Dallas for the first time since being traded in a six-team sign-and-trade in July 2024.
Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks with 25 points, eight rebounds, and five rebounds. Moses Brown followed up with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Klay Thompson had 18 points and two rebounds. Dante Exum added 12 points, three rebounds, and three assists. Max Christie scored eight points, four rebounds, and four assists. Spencer Dinwiddie recorded eight rebounds, two rebounds, and two assists.
Dallas Mavericks-Charlotte Hornets Recap
The Dallas Mavericks vs. Charlotte Hornets game was short-handed. The Mavericks ruled out Anthony Davis with a left adductor strain, Caleb Martin with a right hip strain, Daniel Gafford with a right ankle sprain, Dereck Lively II with a right ankle stress fracture, and PJ Washington with a right ankle sprain. The Mavericks’ starting lineup presented Kyrie Irving, Max Christie, Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, and Moses Brown.
The Hornets ruled out Brandon Miller with a right wrist ligament repair, Grant Williams with a right ACL repair, Josh Okogie with a left hamstring sprain, Tidjaune Salaun with a right ankle sprain, and Tre Mann with a disc herniation. The Hornets’ starting lineup consisted of KJ Simpson, Nick Smith Jr., Josh Green, Miles Bridges, and Mark Williams.
After Mavericks Head Coach Jason Kidd ran the offense through Dante Exum and Jaden Hardy, Charlotte went on an 8-0 run to keep the first quarter close. The Mavericks settled for a 25-24 lead at the end of the first. Both teams maintained offensive dominance in the second quarter. The Mavericks stole the show when Marshall collected a rebound, got past defenders, and scored in the paint. The Mavericks held a 50-49 lead at halftime.
The Mavericks jumped to a fast start for an early 53-51 lead in the third quarter. The Hornets attracted attention to themselves when Mark Williams recorded a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. The Mavericks led 73-67 through three quarters. Both teams had highlight-reel scoring plays, such as Irving’s floater and Bridges’ game-tying three-pointer. The Mavericks won 103-96 in regulation.
Mavericks-Hornets Highlights
The Dallas Mavericks vs. Charlotte Hornets game featured multiple highlights, such as the Mavericks’ renewed partnership with Whataburger, a regional fast-food chain. The partnership encourages North Texas youth to rise to the challenge and read for 20 minutes daily. Last Thursday, Jaden Hardy and in-arena host Chris Arnold read two books aloud at Dallas Public Library’s Hampton-Illinois Branch. Hardy stressed the importance of reading.
For the Mavericks, The Athletic’s Sam Amick said that some within the Mavericks’ organization felt Luka Doncic was lazy. They had concerns about the path he was on physically. Doncic’s weight was a “frequent frustration” within the organization, as was his affinity for drinking beer and smoking hookah. Some Mavericks insiders predicted to Amick that Doncic’s habits will “likely lead to catastrophe in the next five years or so.”
For the Hornets, CBS Sports’ report of their worst three-game stretch in the NBA history has been eye-opening. The Hornets’ stretch was “even more lopsided” than it sounds. They remain four wins ahead of the Washington Wizards and tied with the Utah Jazz for the second-worst record. They’re the single worst team in NBA history after losing their last three games by 131 points.
Final Thoughts
Doncic recorded a triple-double as the Los Angeles Lakers outlasted the Dallas Mavericks, 107-99, before a sellout crowd of 18,997 at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday. Doncic had 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 assists but was just 6-of-17 from the field and 1-of-7 from downtown. He admitted to being emotional leading to Tuesday’s game, which drew 2.5 million viewers on TNT — the largest audience since the NBA’s Opening Night.
Doncic told Mavs.com, “The closure is going to take a while, I think … I don’t know. It’s just, it’s not ideal.” He added, “Like I said, I’m glad this game is over. There was a lot of emotions. It will go little by little. Every day is better.” His thoughts and feelings were valid after he played the first six-and-a-half years of his NBA career with the Mavericks.
The Mavericks will continue their three-game homestand with the second game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the American Airlines Center on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Central. The Bucks previously hosted the Denver Nuggets at the Fiserv Forum on Thursday. The Bucks defeated the Nuggets 121-112 in a nationally televised game on TNT. Milwaukee improved to 33-25, while Denver fell to 38-21.
