Charlotte's bench erupted, raining down threes while Dallas struggled, leading to a blowout and a stark shooting disparity.
CHARLOTTE — Eight Charlotte Hornets scored in double figures Tuesday night, the bench shot 12-of-21 from three-point range, and the Dallas Mavericks never found an answer. The Hornets won 117-90 at Spectrum Center, extending their winning streak to five games and reaching .500 at 31-31 for the first time since Oct. 28.
Dallas dropped to 21-40, losing 14 of its last 16.
Brandon Miller led Charlotte with 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting. LaMelo Ball had 15 points and nine assists. Off the bench, Sion James finished with 13 points in 24 minutes, Grant Williams went 4-of-6 from three for 12 points, and Josh Green hit three of five from deep. Pat Connaughton added two more. The Hornets shot 20-of-51 from three as a team. Dallas shot 3-of-22.
Brandon Williams paced the Mavericks with 18 points, going 10-of-11 from the free-throw line. Dallas got to the line 42 times and made 31. It was not enough. Charlotte outscored Dallas by 51 points on three-pointers alone.
The Mavericks were shorthanded before tip-off. Klay Thompson sat out with a right adductor contusion. Naji Marshall missed his fourth straight game with a right finger contusion. Cooper Flagg, the team's leading scorer, has been out nine consecutive games with a left midfoot sprain. Marvin Bagley III, Tyler Smith, and Moussa Cissé were also unavailable. Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II, both out for the season, made the trip with the team.
Tuesday's performance fits a pattern that has run through the whole season. Dallas ranks 28th in the NBA in three-point attempts per game at 31.0, converting at 33.9%. Since the All-Star break, the Mavericks have attempted just 26.3 threes per game, the fewest in the league. Charlotte has attempted 48.2 per game in that stretch, the most in the NBA. Coach Jason Kidd was direct about the problem after the loss.
"You've got shooters out there that can make threes, and they shot 51 of them tonight," Kidd said. "For us, the positive was we got to the free-throw line 47 times. I understand if you're trading twos for threes, that's not going to put you in a situation to win. But again, we didn't shoot the three well. We created 22, made three. We have to shoot better there."
The Mavericks' most reliable shooter of the season, Max Christie, even went 1-of-9 from deep in 33 minutes. Kidd was asked to explain the cold stretch.
"It's just the life of a shooter," Kidd said. "You go through these spells of hot, cold, warm. Right now we've got to get him going. He's on a cold streak right now."
P.J. Washington returned after missing three games with a left ankle sprain and said Charlotte's offensive rebounding was the entry point for the three-point barrage. The Hornets pulled down 13 offensive boards, generating second-chance possessions that kept Dallas's defense scrambling.
"Their offensive rebounds led to a bunch of threes for them, and that's where they got most of them from," Washington said. "I think we've been terrible at it all year, and it's something we definitely have to get better at."
Williams was asked what the adjustment looks like from the offensive end.
"Kicking the ball out, finding our shooters, and then actually taking them," Williams said. "I think that number won't change unless we actually shoot them. So I think that's self-explanatory."
A capacity crowd of 19,519 at Spectrum Center came hoping for a Flagg-Knueppel rematch. Their Jan. 30 meeting in Dallas — the first between the two former Duke teammates — produced 49 points from Flagg, 34 from Knueppel with eight threes and game-winning free throws, and a 123-121 Charlotte win. Flagg was ruled out on Tuesday with a left midfoot sprain. Knueppel finished with 13 points on 1-of-7 from three.
Before the game, Kidd said Flagg has been progressing and could return before the road trip ends.
"He's ramping up," Kidd said. "Everything is going well. Today was to kind of get back in his routine, and hopefully as we go on this road trip, he can get in and play a game or two."
Washington, who played alongside Knueppel in Charlotte before the trade to Dallas, was asked about the Rookie of the Year race.
"I don't have to say anything," Washington said. "I think we all know Coop is a special player. He's been doing his thing all year. Obviously when he gets back he's going to do the same thing, and he's going to continue to be special. We need him, and it shows."
Hornets head coach Charles Lee was asked about the development of both rookies and pointed to their backgrounds before the NBA.
"Their foundation," Lee said. "I know Kon growing up in a basketball household, going to the men's league with his dad and having to figure out how to fit in on the court. When you're that young, you just got to figure out: how do I fit in? How do I help the team? Both players got to play at a really good basketball school and our staff here has done a really good job of continuing to help them on that journey."
Dallas continues the road trip Thursday night against the Orlando Magic.