The Charlotte Hornets claimed a 120-116 win over the Dallas Mavericks in a preseason contest at American Airlines Center on Saturday. Charlotte moved to 1-2 with the victory, while Dallas slipped to 1-1.
Hornets starters set the tone in the first quarter for a 34-31 lead. LaMelo Ball drained two threes, and Miles Bridges hit three from deep to counter Klay Thompson’s pair of triples.
Cooper Flagg, Dallas’s top draft pick, tallied five points with three steals early. Anthony Davis added four points inside, but Charlotte’s 11 paint points edged out the Mavericks’ 17.
Substitutions brought Spencer Dinwiddie and Tre Mann off the bench for Charlotte. Naji Marshall’s layup pulled Dallas within one at 30-29 before Collin Sexton’s flagrant free throws capped the period.
The second quarter stayed close, with the Hornets holding a slim 61-59 halftime edge after outscoring Dallas 27-28. Ball dished five assists, including to Bridges for an 18-point outing.
Flagg reached nine points on a fadeaway and alley-oop dunk. Dereck Lively II blocked two shots and scored four, but Ryan Kalkbrenner’s perfect 3-of-3 shooting gave Charlotte a boost.
Dallas narrowed the gap to 52-50 on Dwight Powell’s layup. Sexton’s three restored order, though Thompson’s 11 points kept the Mavericks in striking distance.
Charlotte pulled ahead in the third, outpacing Dallas 34-29 for a 95-88 lead entering the fourth. Brandon Miller erupted for 15 points, including a flagrant free throw and three-pointer.
Kalkbrenner grabbed 10 rebounds with 10 points on perfect shooting. Lively II responded with 10 points and two steals, but Hornets forced eight turnovers in the frame.
Davis notched 12 points overall, including a pullup jumper. Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and other Mavericks stars sat out due to coach’s decision, testing the bench depth.
The final quarter saw Dallas mount a 28-25 rally but fall short at 120-116. P.J. Washington led the comeback with 12 points, including two free throws to cut it to 95-90.
Knueppel added 12 points off the bench for Charlotte, hitting threes and layups. Moussa Diabate contributed six points and steals in limited minutes.
Ball finished with 20 points and six assists in 23 minutes. Bridges matched him at 20 points with 11 rebounds, dominating on both ends.
Miller added 15 points and five assists. Sexton scored 12 with three assists before fouling out.
For Dallas, Marshall topped with 13 points and four assists. Thompson had 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting, Flagg 11 points with four assists, and Lively II 10 points with six rebounds.
Charlotte’s 54 paint points outdid Dallas’s 64, but the Hornets capitalized on 41 fast-break points from 14 turnovers. Both teams head into more exhibition games.
