Home Run? Mavs GAMEDAY vs. Hornets, Odds and Prediction
DALLAS - On the second night of a back-to-back, the Dallas Mavericks return home to host the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night. The Mavs will again be without star Luka Doncic, who has been fighting soreness in his left ankle for nearly a month. He tweaked the ankle again on Friday at Indiana and could return for Wednesday's showdown against the Los Angles Lakers.
With Jalen Brunson starting in Doncic's place, Dallas earned a 103-84 win Sunday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Mavs look to get over .500 and halt a five-game losing streak at the American Airlines Center. Dallas hasn't won at home in nearly a month.
The Hornets are also not at full strength; with starters LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier both on the health and safety protocol list. Jalen McDaniel, Mason Plumlee and Ish Smith are also on the COVID lost. P.J. Washington is questionable with a non-COVID illness.
This is the first regular-season meeting between the two teams in 2021-22. The Mavs defense will be tested as the Hornets are No. 1 in the NBA in scoring at 115.8 points per game and the No. 1 three-point shooting team at 38.4 percent.
INJURY REPORT: Mavs: Doncic (left ankle soreness) is out; Sterling Brown (left foot soreness) is questionable; Willie Cauley-Stein (personal reasons) is out;
Hornets: LaMelo Ball (health and safety protocols) and Terry Rozier (health and safety protocols) are out.
RECORDS: DALLAS MAVERICKS (13-13) VS. CHARLOTTE HORNETS (15-13)
WHEN: Monday, December 13, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. CT
LOCATION: American Airlines Center (Dallas, TX)
TV/RADIO: BSSW, 97.1 The Eagle (KEGL)
ODDS: The Mavs are 3.5-point favorites vs. the Hornets.
PREDICTION: Mavs win.
NEXT: Dallas gets a day off before hosting the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast by ESPN.
FINAL WORD Brunson, after leading the team with 18 points and nine rebounds in Sunday's win:
“When you’re missing a player like that (Doncic), it’s definitely tough. So it’s not going to be just one person (who takes up the slack). It’s going to be a unit to kind of just bring it up, just collectively bring it together.
