The Dallas Mavericks hit the road to take on the Charlotte Hornets in a one-game road tilt on Monday, also known as Martin Luther King Jr. Day. As Americans celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and all the historic things he did for America, Klay Thompson felt honored to play in Monday’s game. Thompson told Mavs.com that Dr. King was one of the greatest American icons and world leaders the world ever saw.
Thompson said that Dr. King sacrificed everything, not just for Black folks, but just for humanity in general, so it’s an honor to play in his name. Thompson added that he’s a beacon of hope and his legacy will be forever. The Mavericks’ Friday actions supported Thompson’s comments, as the Mavericks honored Dr. King with the Black national anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” snippets of the “I Have a Dream” speech, and “Honor King” shirts.
The Mavericks lost to the Hornets 110-105 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte. Dallas fell to 23-20, while Charlotte improved to 11-28. Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks with 33 points, four rebounds, and four assists. Daniel Gafford followed up with 31 points, 13 rebounds, and three assists. PJ Washington added 13 points, 10 rebounds, and one assist.
Naji Marshall had eight points, five rebounds, and four assists. Spencer Dinwiddie had seven points, five rebounds, and three assists. Thompson recorded seven points, two rebounds, and two assists. Olivier-Maxence Prosper tallied six points, eight rebounds, and one assist. Maxi Kleber’s two rebounds and two assists rounded out the Mavericks’ scorers.
Dallas Mavericks-Charlotte Hornets Recap
The Dallas Mavericks and Charlotte Hornets game was action-packed from start to finish. The Mavericks ruled out Luka Doncic with a left calf strain, Jaden Hardy with a right ankle sprain, Dwight Powell with a right hip strain, Quentin Grimes with back spasms, and Dante Exum with a right wrist surgery. The Hornets ruled out Grant Williams with a right ACL tear and Brandon Miller with a right wrist scapholunate ligament tear.
The Mavericks’ starting lineup featured Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Spencer Dinwiddie, PJ Washington, and Daniel Gafford. According to the Dallas Morning News, Irving reportedly aims to avoid surgery with back injury management. He felt no pain last Friday but wasn’t in a good place emotionally. As a result, Dallas wanted to be careful with his workload but upgraded him to questionable on Sunday.
The first quarter could’ve been described as even-strength. Irving wasted no time with a tip-in to open the scoring. LaMelo Ball impressed the home crowd with a corner three. The Mavericks led 27-24 at the end of the first. The second quarter resembled the first quarter but shifted in favor of the Hornets, whose defense excelled. Ball had the last word with a late three. The Mavericks and Hornets were tied 55-55 at halftime.
The third quarter shifted in favor of the Mavericks. Thompson found Dinwiddie, who completed the scoring play with a flawless rim finish. The Mavericks regained the lead 83-82 through three quarters. The fourth quarter went down to the wire. Irving made it rain with threes, while Nick Smith Jr. buried a three following the Hornets’ defenders moving through traffic. The Hornets got the ball in the final minutes and won 110-105.
Mavericks-Hornets Highlights
The Dallas Mavericks and Charlotte Hornets game featured multiple highlights, such as the former NBA shooting Guard Theo Pinson, who last played for the Mavericks and the Texas Legends from 2021-2023, decided to put his professional basketball career in the rearview mirror. Pinson, 29, transitioned into a career as a TV color analyst for ESPN. Pinson’s other career pursuits include two podcasts: “Run Your Race” and “To The Baha.”
For the Mavericks, Sporting News recently wrote about FanSided’s prediction that the Mavericks would trade for the Detroit Pistons Guard, Isaiah Stewart following Dereck Lively II’s sprained right ankle. Stewart’s numbers are a bit down across the board this season, but he’s still rebounding at a high rate. If this trade occurs, Dallas could include Maxi Kleber, Dante Exum, and Olivier-Maxence Prosper to match Stewart’s salary.
For the Hornets, Sports Illustrated recently took a closer look at the Hornets’ trade of the NBA Center Nick Richards. Richards, 27, was part of the Hornets’ trade with the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Shooting Guard Josh Okogie and three second-round draft picks. Okogie, 26, is a career 30% shooter from deep but is a limited offensive option who struggles to score the ball. Thus, Charlotte created financial flexibility in this trade.
Final Thoughts
The Dallas Mavericks’ fourth-quarter surge earned an impressive 106-98 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder at the American Airlines Center on Friday night. The Mavericks and Thunder were without their star players, Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Dallas’s fourth quarter, which featured more rhythm, fueled an unexpected win in the NBA world.
The Thunder were without Gilgeous-Alexander, which wasn’t the same beast as the Mavericks without Doncic. Gilgeous-Alexander was ruled out in the hours leading up to the highly anticipated game, and the Thunder’s numbers showed the importance of their star player. The Thunder scored just 22 points in the paint on 11-of-33 shots and shot just 12 free throws, so the Mavericks’ defensive effort deserved a cookie.
Both the Mavericks and Thunder are looking ahead to the future. The Mavericks’ win over the Thunder didn’t necessarily dissolve their controversial goaltending no-call against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night. The Thunder will have to wait and see when Gilgeous-Alexander will return. Despite being a team that can do it on both ends of the court, Oklahoma City can benefit from Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring and leadership.
The Dallas Mavericks will host the Minnesota Timberwolves in a one-game tilt on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Central. The Timberwolves lost to the NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers 124-117 at the Target Center on Saturday night. The Timberwolves loss was disappointing for fans, but the Timberwolves could’ve lost to the Cavaliers in a blowout before taking on the Memphis Grizzlies at the FedExForum on Monday at 1:30 p.m. Central.
