By Sam Perley, hornets.com
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The Result
A slow start by the visiting Hornets was too much to overcome as they opened a four-game road trip with a 92-81 loss to the Mavericks on Sunday, Feb. 22 in Dallas. Despite another impressive performance by the recently-acquired Mo Williams, the Hornets struggled to keep pace early on with one of the highest-scoring teams in the NBA as they dropped their fifth-straight game. Williams lead the way for the Charlotte with 22 points while Monta Ellis tallied 23 points to lead the hometown Mavericks.
Turning Points
Dallas jumped out in front of the Hornets right from the beginning of the game opening up a 28-16 lead by the end of the first quarter. Charlotte was able to slow the pace a bit after that and put together a handful of scoring bursts around halftime but never get back in front of the Mavericks who put away the Hornets for the 11th consecutive time in Dallas.
Inside the Box Score
Al Jefferson notched eight points and a season-high 17 rebounds for the Hornets… Cody Zeller also had a big night on the boards finishing with 10 rebounds for his first double-digit rebounding performance since Jan. 28… Michael Kidd-Gilchrist scored 15 points to finish in double figures for the eighth time in his last nine games… Marvin Williams also tallied 15 points for his highest-scoring performance since Oct. 29… Lance Stephenson also finished in double figures with 11 points and dished out a team-high five assists… Monta Ellis (23), Amar’e Stoudemire (14), Tyson Chandler (12) and Richard Jefferson (10) all scored in double figures for the Mavericks… Jefferson also pulled down 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the season and first since Dec. 13… Dirk Nowitzki notched eight points and a team-high 12 rebounds… Charlotte connected on 36.7% of their field-goal attempts compared to Dallas, who was 46.2%. The Hornets have only shot better than 50% from the field twice this season, which is the lowest in the NBA… Charlotte held Dallas to just six offensive rebounds after surrendering 19 to Oklahoma City the night before.
Hornets Player of the Game
Mo Williams looked sharp again in his second game with Charlotte finishing with 22 points, three assists and a season-high three steals. Williams has now scored 20-or-more points in consecutive games for the third time this season.
Mavericks Player of the Game
Despite a modest 12 points and seven rebounds, Tyson Chandler was absolutely dominant on the defensive end for the Mavericks holding Al Jefferson to just 4-of-16 shooting from the field. Chandler was also a perfect 6-of-6 from the field and has scored in double figures in all three games for Dallas since the All-Star Break.
Game Notes
Charlotte is now 18-7 when holding their opponent to under 96 points… Troy Daniels made his first appearance for the Hornets late in the fourth quarter… Amar’e Stoudemire played his first game for the Mavericks after signing with the team on Feb.18… Chandler Parsons (ankle) did not play for Dallas and is expected to miss at least the next two games.
Next Up
The Hornets say on the road with a matchup against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 8:00 PM. The game can be seen on FOX SportsSouth or heard on WFNZ or on the official Charlotte Hornets mobile app.