The Dallas Mavericks shot 3-of-22 from three-point range Tuesday night. The Charlotte Hornets shot 20-of-51. The final score at Spectrum Center was 117-90.
The loss dropped Dallas to 21-40, extended the losing streak to four games, and left the Mavericks with two wins in their last 16. Charlotte reached .500 at 31-31 for the first time since Oct. 28 and won its fifth consecutive game. The Hornets were playing the first night of a back-to-back.
Brandon Williams led the Mavericks with 18 points on 4-of-10 shooting, going 10-of-11 from the free-throw line.
“It’s frustrating for sure,” Williams said. “But you’ve just got to move on. We’ve got another game in two days.”
How the Dallas Mavericks Lost This One
Dallas trailed 57-48 at halftime after shooting 42.5% from the field in the first two quarters. The Mavericks made just 11 field goals after the break and never put any pressure on Charlotte down the stretch. Sion James hit a corner three late in the third quarter to push the lead to 22, and the game was over from there.
The three-point gap was the difference. Charlotte’s bench went 12-of-21 from deep — Grant Williams 4-of-6, Josh Green 3-of-5, James 3-of-6, Pat Connaughton 2-of-3. Dallas shot 3-of-22 as a team. Dwight Powell and Khris Middleton combined for zero three-point attempts, and neither Klay Thompson nor Naji Marshall suited up. Thompson sat out with a right adductor contusion and Marshall missed his fourth straight game with a right finger contusion. Marvin Bagley III, Tyler Smith, and Moussa Cissé were also out. Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II, both sidelined for the season, made the trip with the team.
The numbers reflect a season-long problem. Charlotte ranks second in the NBA in three-point attempts per game at 42.2, averaging 16.0 makes on 37.8% shooting. Dallas ranks 28th at 31.0 attempts per game, converting at 33.9%. Since the All-Star break the gap has grown — the Mavericks have attempted just 26.3 threes per game, the fewest in the league, while Charlotte has launched 48.2, the most. Dallas got to the free-throw line 42 times and made 31, but it was not close to enough.
Kidd was asked after the game about competing against a team shooting that many threes.
“You’ve got shooters out there that can make threes, and they shot 51 of them tonight,” Kidd said. “For us, the positive was we got to the free-throw line 47 times. I understand if you’re trading twos for threes, that’s not going to put you in a situation to win. But again, we didn’t shoot the three well. We created 22, made three. We have to shoot better there.”
Williams was asked the same question.
“Other teams are shooting — they’re making more than we’re taking,” Williams said. “It’s tough mathematically. We’ve got to give ourselves a chance.”
Max Christie, who has made 133 three-pointers this season — a career high — went 1-of-9 from deep and finished with 11 points on 4-of-15 shooting in 33 minutes. Kidd was asked about the recent cold streak.
“It’s just the life of a shooter,” Kidd said. “You go through these spells of hot, cold, warm. Right now we’ve got to get him going. He’s on a cold streak right now.”
Rebounding Proves Costly for the Dallas Mavericks
P.J. Washington returned after missing three games with a left ankle sprain and tied Charlotte’s offensive rebounding to the three-point problem. The Hornets pulled down 13 offensive boards on the night.
“I think we’ve got to do a better job of when we get to the paint, finding our shooters,” Washington said. “Defensively for us, their offensive rebounds led to a bunch of threes for them, and that’s where they got most of them from. Our defense in the half court was good. It was just the rebounding, and obviously it got away from us.”
Washington was asked whether the issue is correctable or a pattern that has run through the whole season.
“I think we’ve been terrible at it all year,” Washington said. “And it’s something we definitely have to get better at.”
Williams was asked what Dallas needs to do on the offensive end to generate more three-point looks.
“Kicking the ball out, finding our shooters, and then actually taking them,” Williams said. “I think that number won’t change unless we actually shoot them. So I think that’s self-explanatory.”
Williams added that the rebounding burden extends beyond the frontcourt.
“Our bigs are dominant, but it’s on us to help them and carry out the rebounding responsibilities,” Williams said.
Brandon Miller, Charlotte Hornets Bench Overwhelm Dallas
Brandon Miller led Charlotte with 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting. LaMelo Ball finished with 15 points and nine assists. Sion James came off the bench for 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting. Eight Hornets reached double figures.
Lee was asked about the contributions from his bench after the win.
“Those guys were really impactful,” Lee said. “I thought Brandon had a really good first quarter. I thought Melo kept us steady a lot of times. Grant came in, Josh came in, gave us really big minutes. Sion gave us really big minutes. As a team, we really had a lot of really good moments. To hold a team under 100 again, to win every quarter — that’s a testament to our guys and the consistency they showed with their competitive spirit.”
The Hornets held Dallas under 100 for the third time in four games. Miller was asked about the team’s two-way approach.
“Every game is not going to be an offensive game, so it’s about finding ways to affect the game defensively,” Miller said. “Everybody having that two-way mindset goes a long way. Whether it’s helping the helpers, a shift, a weak-side block — it’s always about being there for each other.”
Grant Williams, who went 4-of-6 from three for 12 points off the bench, was asked what has driven Charlotte’s third-quarter runs. James’s corner three late in the third pushed Dallas’s deficit to 22 and ended the game as a contest.
“I think the level of communication that we have and focusing on everyone’s voice matters,” Williams said. “We’ve done a good job of starting games well and making sure the first unit is locked in and the second unit can come in too. The game goes on, so you have to stay even more locked in and focused — and I think that’s what we’ve done.”
Charlotte reached .500 at 31-31 for the first time since Oct. 28. Lee was asked about the milestone.
“It’s a testament to the hard work these guys are putting in every day,” Lee said. “We’re getting a lot of contributions from a lot of guys at different moments in the game, and it’s helping us a ton.”
A capacity crowd of 19,519 came to Spectrum Center hoping for a rematch of the Jan. 30 game in Dallas between Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel — the top two candidates in the Rookie of the Year race. That game produced 49 points from Flagg, 34 from Knueppel with eight threes and game-winning free throws, and a 123-121 Charlotte win. Flagg was ruled out Tuesday with his left midfoot sprain, and Knueppel went 1-of-7 from three for 13 points in one of the quieter games of his rookie season.
Lee was asked about the development of both rookies.
“Their foundation,” Lee said. “I know Kon growing up in a basketball household, going to the men’s league with his dad and having to figure out how to fit in on the court. When you’re that young, you just got to figure out: how do I fit in? How do I help the team? Both players got to play at a really good basketball school and our staff here has done a really good job of continuing to help them on that journey.”
Daniel Gafford, Khris Middleton Steady the Dallas Mavericks
With eight players out, Kidd leaned on his veterans. Daniel Gafford finished with 10 points and six rebounds in 22 minutes. He has been managing his own right ankle issues this season but has not missed a game. Kidd was asked about Gafford’s effort.
“Gaff — with the injury, understanding it maybe hasn’t been his best — but he’s out there competing each night for us, and we need that,” Kidd said. “That’s just who he is. His character — he wants to help the team win. And he did that tonight. Unfortunately, we just didn’t score enough points, but we’re going to need that for the rest of the season.”
Middleton finished with nine points and eight defensive rebounds in 29 minutes and was on the bench between stints working with two-way signee John Poulakidas. Kidd was asked about Middleton’s role with the newcomers.
“Coming off the bench, he was really good for us,” Kidd said. “His energy, his effort, his voice, his teaching — trying to help the newcomers that are here. He’s a great teammate, especially with the newcomers — being there to help them get comfortable. We need that here on this road trip because our newcomers are going to play.”
Dwight Powell added 12 points on 3-of-5 shooting off the bench, going 6-of-8 from the free-throw line with four rebounds and three assists in 26 minutes. Caleb Martin finished with nine points on 3-of-7 shooting, going 3-of-8 from the free-throw line with a team-high 10 rebounds and one assist in 26 minutes. Ryan Nembhard had two points on 1-of-4 shooting with five rebounds, four assists, and three steals in 21 minutes. Washington finished with 13 points on 4-of-11 shooting, going 4-of-6 from the free-throw line with two rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes.
Cooper Flagg’s Return Drawing Closer
Flagg did not play but was at Spectrum Center for shootaround earlier in the day, putting up shots and moving through his normal routine with no visible hesitation on the left foot. Before the game Kidd was asked about the timeline.
“He’s ramping up,” Kidd said. “Everything is going well. Today was to kind of get back in his routine and hopefully as we go on this road trip he can get in and play a game or two.”
Flagg has missed eight consecutive games with a left midfoot sprain. In 49 games this season he has averaged 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.8 blocks on 48.2% shooting. Washington, who played alongside Knueppel in Charlotte before the trade to Dallas, was asked about the ROY race.
“I don’t have to say anything,” Washington said. “I think we all know Coop is a special player. He’s been doing his thing all year. Obviously, when he gets back, he’s going to do the same thing, and he’s going to continue to be special. We need him, and it shows. Just him being his age and doing what he’s doing — you don’t really see too many guys doing that. So I think it’s no question.”
Williams was asked about the remaining five games on this road trip.
“It’s going to be tough,” Williams said. “But it’s on all of us — everybody. We’ve just got to stick together and keep competing.”
Up Next
The Dallas Mavericks continue the six-game road trip Thursday night at the Orlando Magic.
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