All Hornets

Hornets eye first three-game win streak in MLK Day matinee vs. Mavericks

Charlotte will face Dallas for the first time this season.
Ali Jawad|
Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

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Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets (10-28) look to achieve their first three-game winning streak of the 2024-25 season as they face off against Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks (23-19) in a Martin Luther King Jr. Day matchup at Spectrum Center.

The MLK Day contest opens this season's two-game series between the teams, with Dallas holding the recent edge after sweeping last season's matchups and claiming four victories in their last seven encounters with Charlotte and leads the all-time series 44-23.

Dallas will once again be without star point guard Luka Dončić, who remains sidelined with a calf injury suffered during their Christmas Day clash with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The five-time All-Star isn't expected to return until early February, leaving Dallas without their leading scorer and playmaker.

The Main Point

Under Head Coach Charles Lee, the Hornets have found some recent rhythm, securing consecutive victories for just the second time this season. Despite a 6-13 home record, Charlotte enters the MLK Day matchup with some momentum. The team's offense has clicked into high gear during wins over Utah and Chicago, shooting above 50 percent in both contests while outperforming in the interior in offensive rebounding and points in the paint.

Dallas snapped its three-game skid with a 106-98 victory over the high-powered Oklahoma City Thunder. Even without Dončić, Dallas continues to showcase offensive efficiency, ranking among the NBA's elite in several key categories: 10th in scoring (115.4 PPG), seventh in field goal percentage (47.7%), and 10th in three-point accuracy (37.2%). Their defensive presence is equally notable, with their 5.8 blocks per game ranking fourth league-wide.

Leading Contributors

Hornets: LaMelo Ball is amid a breakout season, emerging as one of the NBA's elite scorers. The dynamic point guard's 29.5 points per game ranks fourth overall in the league and leads all Eastern Conference guards. Among NBA guards, only league-scoring leader Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Oklahoma City has posted a higher average. Ball's playmaking has been equally impressive, as his 7.5 assists per game ranks eighth league-wide, while he's also disrupting opposing offenses with 1.4 steals per contest.

Mavericks: Kyrie Irving has been forced to help carry the load in the wake of Dončić's injury. Despite missing 10 games himself with a bulging disk in his lower back. Irving has averaged 23.9 points per game while shooting 48.1 percent from the field including 43.2 percent from deep.

Key Matchup - LaMelo Ball and Kyrie Irving

The spotlight will be on the point guard duel between Ball and Irving. Ball enters the contest showcasing career-best numbers (29.5 PPG, 7.5 APG) and has emerged as the Eastern Conference's premier scoring guard. Irving, meanwhile, has shouldered an expanded offensive role in Dončić's absence, leveraging his elite ball-handling and scoring prowess to keep the Mavericks' offense flowing.

Last 10 Matchups

Despite a 3-7 stretch over their last 10 games, the Hornets have shown some fight, with all three victories coming over their four most recent outings. Their schedule recently saw unexpected adjustments when Southern California wildfires forced the postponement of their Los Angeles road trip, pushing back matchups against both the Lakers and Clippers.

Similar to their opponent, the Mavericks have struggled to maintain consistency, posting a 3-7 record over their last 10 games. More concerning for Dallas has been the margin of defeat, with six of those losses coming by 10 or more points, highlighting their recent defensive vulnerabilities.

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Ali Jawad
ALI JAWAD

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