Moses Brown Shines on 10-Day Contract in Mavericks' Win Over Hornets: 'It Was Very Impressive'
Dallas Mavericks clinch a 103-96 win over the Charlotte Hornets, with Kyrie Irving scoring 25 points and Moses Brown adding 20 points and 11 rebounds.
DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks (32-28) eked out a 103-96 victory over the Charlotte Hornets (14-44) Thursday night at the American Airlines Center, snapping their two-game losing streak and kicking off a critical three-game homestand. Despite their recent blowout losses, the Hornets challenged the Mavericks far more than expected, leading at points in the game and tying it up in the fourth quarter.
Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks with 25 points, scoring 18 in the second half, along with 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Klay Thompson contributed 18 points, while Danté Exum added 12 points off the bench.
Matched up against Mark Williams, Moses Brown, playing on a 10-day contract and making his first start, scored 20 points and 11 rebounds. He added a necessary interior presence at 7-foot-2 with Anthony Davis (left adductor strain), Daniel Gafford (right knee sprain), and Dereck Lively II (right ankle stress fracture) all sidelined.
“You just got to be mature about it and feel good as much as we can every single game, whoever’s in the lineup,” Irving said. “The ups and downs have come and gone, but I think what’s remained consistent is our mentality toward every game, just making sure that even when we’re not playing at our best, we can hold each other accountable to get the best out of each other.”
LaMelo Ball (right ankle soreness) was a late addition to the Hornets’ injury report before being ruled out. Charlotte also played without Tre Mann (disc herniation), Brandon Miller (right wrist ligament repair), Wendell Moore Jr. (concussion protocol), Jusuf Nurkić (illness), Josh Okogie (left hamstring sprain), Tidjane Salaun (right ankle sprain), and Grant Williams (right ACL repair).
Williams led the Hornets with 26 points, 16 rebounds, and 3 assists, while Miles Bridges added 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists. Charlotte’s only other double-figure scorers included Nick Smith Jr. (12 points) and K.J. Simpson (11 points).
The early momentum was in the Mavericks’ favor, jumping to an 18-7 lead after Irving converted from beyond the arc. Charlotte responded with a 7-0 run to stifle Dallas from breaking the game open. Both teams traded mini-runs, but the Mavericks led just 25-24 at the end of the opening period.
The Mavericks and Hornets each scored 25 points in the second quarter. However, a 9-3 run to begin the frame — capped off by former Maverick wing Josh Green converting from three — put Charlotte up 33-27 with 10:18 left before halftime. Dallas responded, and both teams kept it tight entering the break.
The Mavericks must address an ongoing challenge: their wing players' reluctance to shoot on the catch. Dallas also struggled with turning down shots and over-driving the lane at times. Brown was the Mavericks’ leading scorer and rebounder going into halftime, showcasing his value.
“I just want to be an anchor on defense,” Brown said. “Sometimes, defense creates offense. Coming out of the first half, that was an example of it.”
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd praised Brown's interior presence on both ends. Dallas had previously started 6-foot-7 wing Kessler Edwards at the five for eight games in February, relying heavily on small ball. Meanwhile, Dwight Powell remained on a 10-12 minute restriction after a lengthy layoff from a right hip strain.
"Moses gave us a spark, gave us a big (presence) at the rim,” Kidd said of Brown. “We needed someone at the rim, and he did a really good job for us."
After holding the Hornets to 18 points in the third quarter, the Mavericks created some separation entering the final frame, leading 73-67.
The Mavericks gradually took control down the stretch, with Brown’s dunk putting Dallas up 80-71 early in the fourth quarter. However, Charlotte did make a late push, with Bridges scoring at the rim multiple possessions in a row to reduce the Mavericks’ lead to 94-91 with 3:00 left to play.
"It was very impressive, especially going against Mark Williams," Irving said of Brown's performance. "It was a great matchup to watch when they were challenging each other. But he rose to the occasion, Moses, and added some interior presence for us."
The game-defining stretch occurred down the stretch by the Mavericks. Dallas closed it out with a timely three from Thompson, a floater from Irving, and a dunk from Brown, making it a 10-point game with 53.1 seconds on the clock. Coming off a winless two-game West Coast road trip, Irving was intent on leading a victory.
“ A lot of pride, man. I wish I could have it every night consistently,” Irving said. “That's what I'm building towards. When it goes well, you look great, and then when it doesn't go well and you kind of fall short, you take the lessons — not just from the loss, but from both sides of the winning loss.
“Tonight was definitely one of those games where it could have been a setup where we played two emotional games and Golden State in LA And then coming back home and playing on our home floor, you could feel the energy wasn't at an all time high going into halftime,” Iring explained. “We had some newfound energy that we mustered up and just had to finish this game strong. You know, we know Charlotte is a good team. They're a budding team. But at the same time, we got to take advantage of who's in the lineup, who's out of the lineup and really be a mature veteran team.”
Brown’s impact on a night when the Mavericks needed size at center was the clear storyline. With an emphasis on doing the little things, like setting good screens, Brown provided just what Dallas needed to get a win.
"I haven’t started for this team, haven’t played for this team all year, so coming in, I just wanted to be a good fit, setting good screens, getting guys open,” Brown said. “It was a big deal today. It feels good. I’m thankful for my coaches and teammates for giving me the opportunity."
The Hornets have struggled since the All-Star break, losing their previous games by wide margins. However, their performance on Thursday defied expectations.
"We knew no matter who’s in uniform, they’re going to play hard," Kidd remarked. "They’ve had a stretch here that hasn’t been good, and they’re pros. And so, give them credit. They came out and played hard after this past week. You can be beat on any given night. The week we’ve been through, I thought Kai and Klay did a great job of leading this group.”
Dallas continues its homestand by hosting the Milwaukee Bucks, aiming to secure its playoff positioning further. Irving remains optimistic about the team’s outlook for achieving its goals despite its significant injury-related challenges. A lot will depend on Davis, Gafford, and Lively's March 6 re-evaluation.
“God willing, we get healthy at the right time,” Irving said. “The way I feel about this team – I don’t want to say it’s similar to when we first started because we have a little different squad – but it’s the belief in each other, belief in our coaching staff, belief that guys can grow here, not just as thinkers on the court, but leaders in the locker room.
“It feels good that we can talk to each other about the little things and be honest about where we are in the season and try to put our best foot forward,” Irving explained. “Being very patient with where we are now, we have to put the aggression out there against our opponent and set ourselves up to try to crack that top six, top five and get some good playoff positioning. We know it’s going to be a tall task for us.”
Brown's 10-day contract with the Mavericks expires in one game. Since Dallas is unwilling to operate above the First Apron, Brown cannot sign another deal, and his departure is expected.
“He was great,” Kidd said of Brown. “Moses gave us a spark, gave us a big (presence) at the rim. We needed someone at the rim, and he did a really good job for us. He’ll probably get another 10-day from someone. And give him credit for coming out as a pro and helping us find a way to win. The next game is his last game, and hopefully, he can play as well as he did tonight.”
The Mavericks and Bucks will tip off on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. CST.
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