Surprised by these same Hornets Friday evening, and since badly embarked on the classification because left the Top 10, the Mavericks just had no room for error this Sunday afternoon because a defeat, coupled with victories for the Lakers and the Thunder for example, would have put them in a much more perilous situation, two weeks from the end of the regular season.
Problem: the teammates of Luka Doncic (40 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists) obviously love to scuttle each other because, after having already lost in North Carolina two days ago, here they are again bowing to Charlottewithout it being so undeserved as that (110-104).
With this setback, the fourth in a row, dallas therefore remains in 11th place in the West, but the results of the day from Los Angeles and OKC could have serious repercussions for the Texans, in the standings…
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
— Dallas sinks into crisis. What’s going on with these Mavericks, defeated for the fourth time in a row? If their level of play can be worrying, their attitude calls out all the more on the floor. Because being bad is one thing, but not giving yourself the means to offer a conquering face and being dominated in intensity by the penultimate team in the Eastern Conference is simply unacceptable when the season is at stake. Always irreproachable, Luka Doncic may struggle to save his people, he just can’t do anything if his teammates unscrew and if the defense is absent.
— Charlotte seduced collectively. Sure, the Mavericks disappointed and they’re a shadow of their former selves, but the Hornets haven’t made it easy for them either, far from it. Although their season may already be over, Steve Clifford’s men do not intend to let themselves be walked on so easily and, carried by Gordon Hayward, PJ Washington, Mark Williams or even Dennis Smith Jr, they held on together to afford this nice success. Because you had to be strong to resist attempts to comeback Dallas and the Hornets relied on their rebounds, 3-pointers and shots to get by.
—And 16 for Luka Doncic. While Kyrie Irving got confused with a spectator (and had him outright excluded from the room), the Slovenian rewarded us with his “special”: a technical fault, for having discussed too much with the refereeing body. Problem, this is his 16th of the season and, unless it is canceled by the NBA, it will be synonymous with a suspension game, starting tomorrow night in Indianapolis. Given the recent difficulties of the Mavericks, we can not say that this is good news …
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ mark williams. The Mavericks’ racket and home defense were so bad the rookie almost looked like an All-Star this afternoon. Supported by Gordon Hayward (22 points), PJ Washington (21 points, 12 rebounds) or even a Dennis Smith Jr. who definitely likes to make misery for his ex (14 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds), the 15th choice of the last Draft drove all of Dallas crazy. Both with his offensive rebounds (6) and with his presence in the paint, and his cleanliness to finish in the circle or cause faults (therefore free throws). Nice pick from the Hornets.
⛔ Kyrie Irving. We could have put a layer on the Mavericks in their entirety, as Jason Kidd’s men are disappointing at the moment, but we prefer instead to dwell on the failed performance of the All-Star leader: 18 points, only 5/15 to shoot (including 2/6 to 3-pointers). Never in the game offensively, he did not bring enough alongside Luka Doncic and he especially stood out for his clash with a spectator. A perf ‘finally in line with that of Friday evening.
THE FOLLOWING
Charlotte (25-51) : trip to Oklahoma City, overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday (02:00).
Dallas (36-39) : “back-to-back” in Indiana, on the night of Monday to Tuesday (01:00).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HutxWeEnO5w
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