Hornets notch their third straight win in nail-biting victory over the Mavericks

The Charlotte Hornets and the Dallas Mavericks gave basketball fans a treat with their nail-biting Martin Luther King Jr. Day matinee in the Queen City. The riveting back-and-forth contest was tight throughout with the Hornets eventually coming out on top, running their winning streak to three straight.

The first half belonged to LaMelo Ball.

Charlotte's superstar point guard was in total control in the opening 24 minutes, pouring in an efficient 20 points on 13 shots with four assists and a single turnover. Ball delivered an all-world shot making display that only a handful of guards in the Association could even dream of.

Mavericks' head coach and former NBA All-Star Jason Kidd likened Ball's three-point shooting exploits to all-time greats Steph Curry and Damian Lillard before the game, and Ball lived up to the pre-game praise from the jump.

“His range is in the Steph and Dame category.” Jason Kidd talking about LaMelo Ball

Love hearing great point guards talk about how impactful of a player Ball is. #Hornets
— Matt Alquiza (@malquiza8) January 20, 2025

Daniel Gafford led the way for Dallas for most of the afternoon. His matchup, Mark Williams, has been the talk of the Hornets for much of the past few weeks due to his dominant form since his return, but Gafford gave him all he could handle.

In a close fought fourth quarter, Williams, Miles Bridges, and Nick Smith Jr. led the way. The trio scored 19 of the team's first 25 points as the Hornets erased the one point deficit they faced entering the stanza.

The 110-105 victory is Charlotte's third win in their last four games, as their January turnaround continues. The Hornets are now 4-3 in the month with a nine game home stand on deck following a one-off road trip to Memphis.

Best of the night: Nick Smith Jr. earns his keep

Development in sports, especially basketball, is rarely linear. Smith Jr. saw a dramatic increase in his responsibilities with the Hornets when the calendar turned to 2025 and his fellow back court mates continued to miss time. That increase in responsibility came with an increase in production.

Smith Jr. poured in a season-high 19 points against the Mavericks and delivered big-time buckets and assists as the clock wound down in the fourth quarter. With Miller set to miss an extended period of time, Smith Jr. should continue to see more minutes in Charles Lee's rotation as he continues to make his case to stick around as a long-term piece in Charlotte's rebuild.

Worst of the night: Mark Williams' first half

Williams saved his box score with a solid second half performance, but he spent most of the first 24 mintes of this afternoon's game either on the bench with foul trouble, or stuffed in the basket by Daniel Gafford. It was a humbling afternoon for the ascendant center who has been playing like a man possessed in recent contests.

Stat of the night: Charlotte comes alive from long range

An uncharacteristically hot shooting night led Charlotte to the upset victory. Dallas owned the paint, both outscoring Charlotte inside and drawing nearly twice as many free throws before garbage time, but the three-point shooting was the great equalizer.

The Hornets knocked down 17 three-pointers, their most since knocking down the same number against Wizards on December 26th.

Highlight of the night: Moussa Diabate throws down the alley-oop

🗣️ MOOOOOUUSSA@SharonviewFCU // #MemorableMoments pic.twitter.com/GSa8iiwgmR
— Hornets On FanDuel Sports Network (@FDSN_Hornets) January 20, 2025

Charlotte's next game is on Wednesday night when hey travel to Memphis to take on Ja Morant and the Grizzlies.

- MORE STORIES FROM HORNETS ON SI -

NBA injury expert provides analysis of Brandon Miller's wrist injury

How Mark and Elizabeth Williams stand out as siblings in the NBA/WNBA

Evaluating where Josh Okogie fits into Hornets' rotation