Kyrie Irving delivered in the clutch, scoring 18 of his 25 points in the second half to lift the Dallas Mavericks past the Charlotte Hornets 103-96 on Thursday night.
Dallas improved to 32-28 with the win, keeping pace in the Western Conference playoff race. Charlotte, now 14-44, dropped its fifth straight game and remains 14th in the East.
Moses Brown, making his first start for the Mavericks, contributed 20 points and 11 rebounds in 31 minutes. The center, on a 10-day contract, had his highest-scoring performance since 2021.
Mark Williams led the Hornets with 26 points and 16 rebounds, while Miles Bridges added 20 points and 12 boards. However, Charlotte struggled offensively, shooting 40.8% from the field and 25.9% from three-point range.
LaMelo Ball missed his second straight game due to an ankle injury, and the Hornets fell to 1-21 this season without their leading scorer and playmaker.
P.J. Washington Jr. remained sidelined for Dallas with an ankle injury, adding to the team’s frontcourt depth concerns alongside Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, and Dereck Lively II.
Irving controlled the game down the stretch, hitting eight of his final 11 shot attempts. With under two minutes remaining, he secured an offensive rebound and found Klay Thompson, who drilled a three-pointer to extend the Mavericks’ lead to 97-91.
Thompson finished with 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including four three-pointers. His late shot helped Dallas maintain control as Charlotte failed to mount a final push.
Dallas held a slight edge throughout, winning the rebounding battle 48-56 and limiting turnovers to seven. The Mavericks also shot 75% from the free-throw line compared to Charlotte’s 69.2%.
Naji Marshall struggled from the field, shooting 1-for-11, but contributed nine rebounds and six assists. Off the bench, Dante Exum added 12 points and four steals, providing a defensive spark.
The Hornets completed a grueling nine-game road stretch with just one win. Their offensive woes continued, as they managed only 18 points in the third quarter before falling short in the fourth.
