CHARLOTTE HORNETS (15-13) at MAVERICKS (13-13)
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: American Airlines Center, Dallas.
TV: Bally Sports Southwest.
Radio: The Eagle 97.1 FM; Univision Zona MX 99.1 FM (Spanish)
About the Hornets: They have been hard to beat at AAC, having won their last two visits to Dallas . . . However, they will be without a slew of players who have been placed in health and safety protocols, including their starting backcourt of LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier. Also on the COVID-19 list are Jalen McDaniel, Mason Plumlee and Ish Smith. In addition, P.J. Washington, one of their top reserves, missed Friday’s 124-123 home win against Sacramento with an undisclosed illness . . . Against the Kings, the Hornets had five players with 19 points or more, topped by rookie James Bouknight’s 24. He had scored only 15 points all season before Friday . . . The 11th overall pick in the draft has been pressed into action because of the COVID-19 situation . . . They also got 23 points from Miles Bridges, who leads the Hornets at 20.3 points per game . . . They are No. 1 in the NBA in scoring at 115.8 points per game. They also are the No. 1 3-point shooting team at 38.4 perccent from beyond the arc . . . The flip side to that is they are dead last in the league in points allowed at 116.3 per game . . . Gordon Hayward has been one of their most consistent players, averaging 17.6 points per game as he appears to have put his injury-prone ways behind him . . . This is the start of a six-game trip for the Hornets, who won’t return to Charlotte until Christmas Eve.
About the Mavericks: They will be trying to win consecutive games for the first time since Nov. 12 and 15. That win over Denver on the 15th was also the last time they have won a game at AAC. They’ve dropped five in a row on the home floor since . . . They also are playing the second night of back-to-back games and their third game in four nights . . . All of that was a little less taxing as they spanked Oklahoma City Sunday night in a 103-84 road victory. That game, like this one, was played without Luka Dončić, who is out with left foot soreness . . . Starting in his place, Jalen Brunson had 18 points and nine rebounds in the win over OKC. Brunson has reached double-figure scoring in seven consecutive games. He’s also averaged seven rebounds in the last three games . . . Center Moses Brown has earned more playing time lately and has responded. He had 15 points and six rebounds in 20 minutes against the Thunder . . . Josh Green also got extended action against the Thunder with eight points and five rebounds in 15 minutes . . . The Mavericks shot 9-of-33 (27.3 percent) from 3-point range against the Thunder. It was the fourth time in the last six games that they’ve been below 30 percent from long range . . . Backup big man Maxi Kleber had a season-best 16 points to go with seven rebounds against the Thunder. The Mavericks won the board game 54-39.
Twitter: @ESefko
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