The Charlotte Hornets take on the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night at 8:30 p.m. eastern. The Mavericks who were winners on Sunday night will be playing their second game of a back-to-back against the Hornets.
The Hornets are finally starting to hear some good news as it relates to players being in the health and safety protocols as Terry Rozier, Jalen McDaniels, and Mason Plumlee have all been cleared. Rozier is the only one who is expected to feature Monday against Dallas while McDaniels and Plumlee have been assigned to the Greensboro Swarm for a conditioning and rehab assignment.
The Mavericks on the other hand have been dealt a big blow as Luka Doncic is expected to miss several games with an ankle injury. Without Doncic, Dallas was able to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder comfortably and will look to carry that momentum into Monday night.
Charlotte Hornets odds at Dallas Mavericks
The Hornets are 2.5-point underdogs against the Mavericks on Monday night, according to WynnBET. With potentially five members of the core rotation still out, being underdogs in this game isn’t too surprising, even with the absence of Doncic for the Mavericks.
It may also be worth a look to check out the Hornets’ total points over/under, which is currently set at 107. Even with half of the rotation being out, Charlotte has scored over 120 points in three of their last four games.
Streaming info for Charlotte Hornets at Dallas Mavericks
TV: Bally Sports Southeast
Radio WFNZ 610
Storylines for Charlotte Hornets at Dallas Mavericks
Last time we saw the Hornets was Friday night against the Sacramento Kings, a game they won by just one point. The leading scorer for the Hornets that night was James Bouknight who finished the game with 24 points. This was the first time we got to see Charlotte’s top draft pick shine with the Hornets roster. While Rozier is back in the rotation, McDaniels and Plumlee will still be out so Bouknight should still see minutes after his sensational performance. This is a great time for him to prove to James Borrego that he should be a regular member of the rotation.
The front-court rotation will be one to watch tonight. Plumlee, PJ Washington, and Nick Richards all missed Friday night’s game leading the Hornets to call upon the services of JT Thor, Vernon Carey Jr., and Kai Jones. Washington’s status is currently up in the air and it looks like Richards will return, so it’ll be interesting to see if Borrego calls Thor back into the rotation who has played very well in the last week.
Long story short. With Plumlee and McDaniels being in Greensboro, this is a great opportunity for Thor and Bouknight to steal their minutes.
Injury Report for Charlotte Hornets at Dallas Mavericks
Charlotte:
PJ Washington (illness, non-covid related) – PROBABLE
LaMelo Ball (COVID-19 health and safety protocols) – OUT
Ish Smith (COVID-19 health and safety protocols) – OUT
Jalen McDaniels (Greensboro rehab) – OUT
Mason Plumlee (Greensboro rehab) – OUT
Dallas:
Luka Doncic (ankle) – OUT
Willie Cauley-Stein (personal) – OUT
Sterling Brown (foot) – OUT