Mavs at Hornets Preview: Dallas Must Be ‘Flawless’ to Save Season
The Dallas Mavericks have suffered a precipitous fall in the Western Conference standings since after the All-Star break and now find themselves outside of play-in contention as they face the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday afternoon.
The Mavericks haven't been able to catch a break -- in the win column or on the injury report. To make matters worse, both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving were available in their most recent 117-109 loss to a LaMelo Ball-less Hornets squad on Friday.
Evidently, the Mavericks have every reason to respect the Hornets. Though, they must approach this game with the mentality to utterly dominate, as morale from a win or loss will carry over into the rest of their remaining seven games.
“It was awful. Dogs s***,” coach Jason Kidd said of his team’s crushing loss. “I think just understanding the talk before the game of what we’re playing for – playoffs or championship – and to come out in that first half, but more-or-less that first quarter, and give up 37 [points]. The interest level just wasn’t high. It was just … disappointing.
“You’ve got to be flawless. Every possession means something.”
Dallas allowed seven Hornets players to score in double figures this past Friday. P.J. Washington and Gordon Hayward -- neither of whom average 20-plus points per game -- combined for 53. Doncic was the only Maverick to score above 20 points with 34.
Additionally, the Mavericks got thoroughly out-dueled from the three point line, shooting 25 percent from deep compared to a 39.3 percent connect rate from the Hornets. Their shooting woes contributed to Charlotte building as large as a 21-point lead in the second quarter.
Dallas has one game on their plate and cannot afford to waste a crumb. Despite tumbling to the bottom of the standings out East, the Hornets are not bereft of playmakers. They have a healthy amount of wing players that can shoot from outside, get to the basket and create their own shot.
Offense is not so much the problem for Dallas in the grand scope of things. That can be turned on at any time. It is incumbent for coach Jason Kidd to invigorate a tenacious defensive attitude in his troops, and correct a dispiriting 14-22 road record.
Presses, traps, ball denial on the strong side and hellacious foot movement in the pick-and-roll will all be expedient to keep their postseason hopes going.
Mavericks Injury Report
Tim Hardaway Jr. (PROBABLE - non-COVID illness)
RECORDS: Dallas Mavericks (36-38), Charlotte Hornets (24-51)
WHEN: Sunday, March 26, 2023, at 12:00 p.m. CT.
WHERE: Spectrum Center (Charlotte, NC)
TV: Bally Sports Southwest, League Pass
RADIO: 97.1 The Freak
ODDS: The Mavs are 9.5-point favorites over the Hornets.
NEXT UP: Dallas will play the second game of their five-game road trip against the Indiana Pacers on Monday evening.
FINAL WORD: The road does not get easier moving forward. The next stop on the road trip will be Indiana. After that, Dallas faces daunting tests against the red-hot Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat.
The Sixers are allergic to losing of late, and Jimmy Butler has had a fire in his eyes that has rubbed off on his teammates, sparking a recent 7-3 run for the Heat in their last 10 games.
All three teams pose defensive challenges in their own right. Myles Turner has a monopoly on the paint on defense, and the Sixers and Heat give teams nightmares on both ends. The next seven days will be critical to Dallas' chances at making a Finals run.
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