CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA — Luka Magic was on full display in Charlotte tonight in the Mavericks win against the Hornets. The Dallas Mavericks knew it would be a challenge entering tonight’s game without 5 key players, but Rick Carlisle didn’t want that to be the story of tonight playing a team they previously lost to at home at the beginning of the season.
“As of this moment we have 12 players that are active tonight and we have 5 players in Covid-19 protocol, that’s all I am going to say about it and that’s all anyone should say about it. The next 10 days to 2 weeks is going to be a great challenge for us, but we have a tight group that is looking forward to the challenge.”
Tight is a great word to describe his roster. The players clearly play for one another and the chemistry between them are at an all time high which is why the Mavericks have won their last 3 out of 4 games. One of the Mavericks best players Kristaps Porzingis made his return to the starting lineup after not playing since September of last year.
The Mavericks entered tonight as the 3rd highest rated team on defense and have only allowed their opponents to convert on 30% of their shots from beyond the arc, and their offense is still ranked among the league’s best.
Dallas began the game in explosive fashion in the first quarter and they lived up to the hype on both ends of the floor. The first basket of the game came by way of a Luka Doncic three pointer and he made it clear he was going to get the other players involved right off the tip. The ball moved fluently through the Mavericks offense and their defense also played well and thrived when playing in the zone against the Hornets offense.
Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis got back to their old ways and the tandem began to light it up from the floor. Porzingis scored 6 of his 1st quarter points off 2 Doncic assists. Tim Hardaway Jr also got it going from the field after having two 30 night performances in the last 2 out of 3 games hitting a three and then following up with a driving dunk in transition and Boban Majornovic also gave the Mavericks a boost off the bench and scored 8 points in the 1st quarter as well. Doncic finished the 1st with another impressive stat line leading all scorers with 11 points and grabbed 5 rebounds off the glass.
Dallas finished the 1st quarter out shooting the Hornets shooting 52% from the field and knocked down 50% of their shots from three which resulted in a double digit 32-16 lead which was the third time they led by double digits to end the 1st quarter this season. In addition to their offensive explosion the Mavericks defense notched 3 steals and 2 blocks. The Mavericks only committed 1 turnover in the entire 1st quarter, playing mistake free and making the most out of their possessions.
The 2nd quarter of this game was all about defense and the Mavericks didn’t shy away from the area they’ve placed emphasis on throughout the entire season. Dallas only allowed one player on the Hornets to score double digits and held the Hornets to 33% from beyond the arc which is where the Hornets attacked them in their last matchup. Dallas held the Hornets to 26% shooting from the three point line and 34% from the field. The Mavericks went into halftime with a double digit lead but increased their lead from 12 points to 17 points.
The 3rd quarter was all about Luka Doncic. Doncic scored 16 third quarter points, shot 75% from the perimeter, 60% from the field and was on his way to another triple double performance. Kristap Porzingis (6 pts), Wes Iwundu (2 pts), and Josh Green (3 pts) were the only Mavericks to score in the 3rd quarter.
The Mavericks defense continued to dominate in the 4th quarter and the Hornets failed to convert on any of their shots from beyond the arc. Dallas finished off the Hornets 104-93 and moved to 6-4 on their season and captured their 4th win to extend their winning streak.
Luka Doncic came close to securing his 3rd triple double performance of the season finishing the night with 34 points, 13 rebounds, and 9 assists. The second leading scorer for the Mavericks was Tim Hardaway Jr who scored 18 points and KP finished with 16 points in his season debut.
This win was a statement win. Despite not having 5 of their key players, the Mavericks accepted the challenge and had one of their better performances of the season so far.
Dallas will look to extend their winning streak against the 8-4 Milwaukee Bucks who they swept in the preseason on Friday.
