The Dallas Mavericks gave up 13 offensive rebounds to the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night, and those second-chance possessions turned directly into open three-point looks that helped Charlotte pull away in a 117-90 win at Spectrum Center.
P.J. Washington, who returned after missing three games with a left ankle sprain, 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. In the season, he is averaging 14.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. He was asked after the game about the rebounding breakdown.
“Their offensive rebounds led to a bunch of threes for them, and that’s where they got most of them from,” Washington said. “Our defense in the half-court was good. It was just the rebounding, and obviously it got away from us.”
It was a clear diagnosis of how Charlotte’s 20-of-51 shooting from three happened. The Hornets did not just beat Dallas off the dribble and kick out. They kept getting second and third possessions on the offensive glass, resetting the offense, and finding open shooters. The Mavericks were never able to get stops that counted.
P.J. Washington Says Dallas Mavericks’ Rebounding Problem is Season-Long
Washington was asked whether the issue on Tuesday was a one-game anomaly or something that has followed Dallas all season. He did not hesitate.
“I think we’ve been terrible at it all year,” Washington said. “And it’s something we definitely have to get better at.”
The numbers support him. Charlotte pulled down 13 offensive rebounds on the night and finished with a 49-42 advantage on the glass overall. Since the All-Star break, the Mavericks have struggled to consistently keep opponents off the offensive boards, and the three-point problem is directly connected to it. Dallas ranks 28th in the NBA in three-point attempts per game at 31.0 this season — in part because opponents are getting extra possessions that tilt the game in their favor before Dallas even gets a chance to run offense.
Brandon Williams echoed Washington’s assessment, noting the responsibility does not fall only on the frontcourt.
“Our bigs are dominant, but it’s on us to help them and carry out the rebounding responsibilities,” Williams said.
Dallas Mavericks Need Better Ball Movement Out of the Paint
Washington also identified what Dallas needs to do on the offensive end to counter the imbalance. Getting to the free-throw line 42 times and making 31 kept the score from being worse, but the Mavericks attempted just 22 threes against Charlotte’s 51. Washington pointed to ball movement as the fix.
“I think we’ve got to do a better job of when we get to the paint, finding our shooters,” Washington said. “We could have gotten a lot better shots by simply getting through the lane and finding the open man.”
Williams reinforced the same point when asked about the offensive adjustment.
“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.”
It is two problems feeding each other. Lose the offensive rebound battle, and opponents get more possessions and more threes. Fail to move the ball out of the paint quickly, and Dallas gets fewer of its own. Washington is aware of both sides.
The Mavericks are 21-40 on the season with two wins in their last 16 games. The road trip continues Thursday night at the Orlando Magic.
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