What if the Mavericks miss the playoffs?!? The question deserves to be asked since this Saturday morning, Dallas appears in 11th place, squarely out of the “play-in” race. At home, and when they presented themselves with the Doncic-Irving duo, the Mavericks lost 117-109 to the Hornets. A humiliating setback suffered against a formation already on vacation, and which, the day before had finished the meeting with only seven players against the Pelicans!
Yet in “back-to-back”, the Hornets took the Mavericks by the throat from the start thanks to the outside address of PJ Washington and the speed of the revengeful Dennis Smith Jr. Soft and clumsy, Doncic’s teammates will put 30 minutes to enter the game, unable to put a basket from far or defend. Result, Charlotte takes a 19-point lead from the start of the 2nd quarter (45-26), and we find this lead in the middle of the 3rd quarter (90-69).
We think that the mass is said but the Doncic-Wood duo signs a 10-0 to restart the meeting. We even think that Dallas has done the hardest when Jaden Hardy brings his people to -1 (97-96). Except that behind, Mark Williams goes there with his tap, and it’s the turn of the Hornets to sign a 10-0 to take off (107-96). And as a symbol, it is Smith Jr., nine yards out, who stuns his former team for an unlikely but deserved victory.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
The Doncic – Irving duo turns into a fiasco! Last night, the two All-Star leaders were playing their 10th match together, and the results are largely negative: 3 wins for 7 losses! Admittedly, they are struggling to work on their automatisms because of each other’s injuries, but the arrival of Kyrie Irving turns out to be a flop. Even though he is a free agent at the end of the season…
The Hornets without scorers. For this meeting, Charlotte was deprived of its three best scorers: LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier and Kelly Oubre Jr. Between them, they bring an average of 65 points per game.
The Mavericks bad deal. As the Lakers dominated the Thunder, Dallas fell to 11th place with a record of 36v-38d. It’s the same record as OKC, but Dallas doesn’t have the tie-breaker on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s teammates. In the event of a tie at the end of the season, Dallas only has the “tie-breaker” over the Lakers and the Jazz.
TOPS & FLOPS
✅PJ Washington. The modern strong winger, capable of driving or shooting from a distance. The Mavericks never found the solution to curb him.
✅ Dennis Smith Jr. The best revenge for him with a good start to the match, and this distant 3-point to finish.
✅ Gordon Hayward. Always the same serenity, and this desire to make others play. As soon as he leaves the field, things go less well.
✅ ⛔ Luka Doncic. We can’t blame him for saving himself but he wastes too much energy complaining about the referees. Even for obvious whistles. Like Kyrie Irving, he didn’t find the target from afar.
⛔Maxi Kléber. The German was overwhelmed by Washington. Late or poorly positioned, he symbolizes this friable defense of the Mavericks.
THE FOLLOWING
dallas (36-38) and Charlotte (24-51): The return match, Sunday, on the floor of the Hornets.
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