Stats rundown: 3 numbers from a Dallas Mavericks win over the Charlotte Hornets

Check out the statistics from the Dallas Mavericks’ victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

• By
  
  Ben Zajdel
  
• on November 5, 2023 11:00 pm

The Dallas Mavericks secured a thrilling 124-118 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday night in Dallas. The Mavericks faced a deficit for most of the game but mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter to take the lead. Despite the Hornets playing on the second night of a back-to-back, they remained competitive. LaMelo Ball’s outstanding performance in the final quarter almost carried the Hornets to a win. However, the Mavericks, led by Luka Doncic, made crucial plays to maintain their lead.

Ball was the top scorer of the game with 30 points and also contributed 13 assists and 10 rebounds, resulting in the second 30-point triple-double in Hornets history. The only other player to achieve this feat for the Hornets is Anthony Mason. Doncic led the Mavericks with 23 points, 12 rebounds, and fell just one assist short of his own triple-double.

Let’s dive into three notable numbers from the game:

26: The combined number of rebounds by Doncic and Derek Lively II

Lively led all players with 14 rebounds, while Doncic grabbed 12 rebounds himself. Together, they accounted for over half of the Mavericks’ total rebounds. Lively also secured three offensive rebounds, showcasing his dominance on the boards throughout the game. Dallas had struggled with rebounding in the previous season, so Lively’s emergence is a positive sign. However, there is still room for improvement as the Mavericks only outrebounded the Hornets by four boards and had one fewer offensive rebound.

-22: The Mavericks’ scoring margin in the paint

The Hornets outscored the Mavericks 72-50 in points in the paint. This allowed the Hornets to remain competitive despite shooting poorly from beyond the arc (8-for-31 on 3-pointers). The Mavericks need to tighten their defense near the rim, especially when facing stronger opponents like the Denver Nuggets. It becomes more crucial against formidable teams compared to Eastern Conference bottom-feeders like the Hornets. While Lively’s presence will help address this issue, there is still work to be done to fix this concern.

5: The number of offensive rebounds by Dwight Powell

Powell may have only grabbed five rebounds, but all of them were on the offensive end. This significantly contributed to the Mavericks’ advantage in second chance points (18-14) and ultimately helped secure the victory. Powell also scored 10 points on a perfect 3-of-3 shooting. Although other players had a more significant impact, such as Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jaden Hardy, Powell’s unique stat of exclusively grabbing offensive rebounds deserves attention.

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