Dallas lost a must-win game as the playoff picture began to solidify in the West.
The Mavericks lost to the Hornets, 117-109, dropped their second straight home game and fell two games under .500. This time to an understaffed Lottery Lottery team from Charlotte on the second night of a back-to-back duel. After scoring the game’s opening points, Dallas lost the lead and didn’t see it again for the rest of the game.
Don’t ask who’s ringing the bell; it beats for the Dallas Mavericks.
Luka Doncic narrowly missed a triple-double with a 34/8/10 loss. Rookie Jaden Hardy had some more positive moments, and it was his energy and shooting in the second half that made it look like Dallas could get the hump. Ah, suck no luck.
Seven Hornets made double digits, including all five starters, but PJ Washington led the team with 28.
Fumes in the fourth quarter
The Hornets were the team back-to-back, but it was Dallas who ran out of gas late after fighting off a 21-point deficit.
The addition of Kyrie should solve at least some of Dallas’ problems in the fourth quarter, as he came to Dallas as the league’s top scorer in the fourth quarter. Instead, it was a 0-on-4 shooting performance from deep that ended Dallas’ comeback after they closed the Hornet’s lead to one. He’s probably still dealing with a foot injury but it wasn’t easy watching him miss those opportunities.
DSJ dagger
A headline that would be cause for celebration in another timeline. In this case, however, it was the former Mavs guard who drilled a deep three (after winning a coaching challenge on a Doncic block) that dashed any hope of a Dallas comeback.
It’s almost poetic if the poem by Edgar Allan Poe was written as some sort of gothic horror, which is an accurate description of what’s been watching the Mavericks for much of this season.
Bring out your dead
With the loss, Dallas falls back below .500 at the worst possible time. At what point does this team, which appears to have injured its two All-Stars in hopes of bringing them into the postseason in good health in some form, call it easy? Is there an advantage to hobbling across the line to a 10th seed?
Much has been said about the toxicity of the all-too-online segment of the Mavericks fandom, but that sentiment is even now inevitably beginning to bleed into real life. While Maverick’s governor was in attendance and made a cheeky T-shirt-based fashion statement regarding his latest détente with league office, the home crowd rained some boos on the team as they went into an 18-point timeout. Things are not good Dallas.
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