Brandon Miller scored 17 points and the Charlotte Hornets extended their winning streak to five games with a 117-90 rout of the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night at the Spectrum Center.
LaMelo Ball added 15 points and nine assists as Charlotte (31-31) reached the .500 mark for the first time since Oct. 28, when the Hornets were 2-2. The win continued a sharp turnaround for a team that has found its rhythm on both ends of the floor.
Dallas, which has now lost 14 of its last 16 games, was led by Brandon Williams with 18 points. The Mavericks struggled to generate consistent offense, particularly after halftime.
Charlotte’s depth proved decisive, especially on the first night of a back-to-back. The Hornets’ bench shot 12 of 21 from 3-point range, providing the spacing and scoring punch that broke the game open. Grant Williams knocked down four 3-pointers, while Josh Green and Sion James made three apiece. Pat Connaughton added two more from beyond the arc.
Although Charlotte was whistled for a season-high 31 fouls and sent Dallas to the free-throw line 42 times — where the Mavericks converted 31 — the visitors never found a rhythm from the field. Dallas shot just 3 of 22 from 3-point range and managed only 11 field goals in the second half.
The Hornets built a 57-48 halftime lead after holding the Mavericks to 42.5% shooting. They gradually stretched the margin in the third quarter, and James’ corner 3-pointer in the closing seconds of the period pushed the advantage to 22, effectively sealing the outcome.
A capacity crowd of 19,519 turned out hoping to see another showdown between Rookie of the Year contenders Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg. In their Jan. 30 meeting, Flagg poured in 49 points, but Knueppel answered with eight 3-pointers and 34 points in a 123-121 Charlotte win. This time, however, Flagg was ruled out before tipoff with a midfoot strain, and Knueppel endured one of his toughest games of the season, finishing with 13 points while shooting 1 of 7 from beyond the arc.
Up Next: The Mavericks visit Orlando on Thursday night. The Hornets travel to Boston on Wednesday night.
