Reporting an injury
Hornets: out Ball (ankle), Curry (ankle), Martin (ankle), Williams (back) i doubt it Bailey (sick)
Mavericks: Out Lively II (knee), Brown III (personal) i doubt it Green (ankle) i doubt it Kleber (back)
game preview
The Hornets' season has ended in last place in the Eastern Conference for quite some time, as evidenced by their 2-8 record in recent contests, but Dallas is still looking for a win. The Mavericks currently sit in fifth place in the Western Conference, two games behind the fourth-place Clippers, who they will likely face in the first round of the playoffs. If Doncic and his allies want to have a shot at home court advantage early in the postseason, they'll need to beat another injury-ravaged Charlotte team.
Judging by their recent form, they will likely do just that. The Northeast Texas franchise had a very inconsistent start to the season, but has enjoyed great success recently, winning 10 of their last 11 games. During this period, Dallas boasts the best defense rating and the second best net rating while also playing the fastest basketball in the association (5th in pace).
What separates this year's Mavericks team from recent teams is the production from the team around MVP candidate Luka Doncic. At the guard position, Kyrie Irving was a great second option and scored well. Quietly, Dante Exum and Josh Green also provided very solid all-around play. In the frontcourt, rookie Derek Lively II and newly acquired Daniel Gafford greatly improve the center rotation. Add former Hornet P.J. Washington, the consistently inconsistent Tim Hardaway Jr., and veterans like Maxi Kleber, and you have a team capable of making a deep run in the playoffs.
Main matchups: Including Luka Doncic
The Slovenian supporting cast is strong enough to win many games on its own, but if Doncic has his way, few teams will be able to compete with Dallas. The former EuroLeague MVP can do just about anything offensively. Whether it's casually sinking absurd circus shots, making beautiful passes to wide-open teammates, or flexing his muscles with inside contact, Doncic is one of the league's best Swiss Army knives. There's no surefire way to take him out of the game, but Charlotte will at least need to limit him to his usual performance to pull off an upset.
