March 26, 2023 Dallas Mavericks @ Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets started off with another sizable lead in this first quarter as well, but instead of just scoring their way to it. They defended like crazy. They held the Mavs to 16.7% shooting from the field, the lowest of any opponent Charlotte has faced in any quarter this season. The defense would be a theme that Sunday. The 104 points the Mavs scored were less than their 113-point average. Quite a feat against the NBA’s sixth-most efficient offense.
After a slow start, Dončić was determined not to have the Mavs drop their fourth-straight game. He put up 40 points on 7/16 shooting from behind the arc. When the lead looked like it was going to balloon out of control at the tail end of the half, he scored or assisted on 19 of the Mavs 21 points to finish the half and get the Hornets’ lead to a manageable seven points. Back in the starting rotation, Williams notched his eighth double-double of the season with 15 points and 16 rebounds.
Washington dropped 21 points and 12 rebounds for his third double-double of the season, while Hayward once again led all Hornets in scoring with 22. The game was his 50th of the season, marking the first time he has hit the milestone while wearing a Hornets jersey.