By Sam Perley
Injuries to Jeremy Lamb (hamstring) and Cody Zeller (right hand fracture) might mean the Hornets will be without two first-stringers as they try to kick off 2019 with a home win over the Dallas Mavericks beginning tonight at 7 p.m. ET.
This will be the first meeting of the season between the two sides with the road team going 2-0 in last year’s series. The Mavericks enter this contest having lost eight of ten overall and currently own the NBA’s worst road record at just 2-16. They have not won an outing away from American Airlines Center since Nov. 28 against Houston.
With Lamb doubtful to play as of Jan. 1, the Hornets could rely more on Nic Batum at the two-guard spot. Batum is averaging just 8.8 points on 7.4 shot attempts per game, although is shooting 45.7 percent from the field (highest since 2013-14) and 39.5 percent from three (best since 2009-10). Additionally, he’s still regularly stuffing the statsheet with 5.1 RPG, 3.4 APG and just 1.6 TPG in his 11th NBA season.
The Frenchman will spend time on another Euro in Dallas’ first-year sensation and current frontrunner for the NBA’s Rookie of the Year Award in Luka Dončić. The reigning EuroLeague MVP has been on a tear his first season stateside, posting averages of 19.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.1 steals through 35 games.
Having played professionally for a number of years already, Dončić is a versatile, crafty playmaker (see step-back jumper/three-pointer) who looks more like a 10-year veteran than a 19-year-old rookie. Batum and Dončić are roughly the same size, so expect this matchup to be a pivotal, back-and-forth one as the Hornets try to grab a win before starting their six-game road trip.
Game Note – Hornets point guard Tony Parker needs just one assist to pass Bob Cousy for 17th place on the NBA’s all-time leaderboard (6,955). During last Friday’s win over Brooklyn, Parker moved into 50th place on the league’s all-time points leaderboard (now at 19,252), passing Bob Lanier.
Classic Fact – The Hornets dished out a franchise single-game record 42 assists in a 114-89 home win over the Mavericks on Feb. 11, 2014. Josh McRoberts had a career-high 13 dimes for Charlotte, while Kemba Walker (9) Ramon Sessions (8) combined for another 17 assists.