NBA highlights on Nov. 5: Mavericks rally in 2nd half to bear Hornets

The Dallas Mavericks beat the Charlotte Hornets 124-118 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Sunday, after overcoming a 15-point deficit at home.

Luka Doncic’s struggling offensive performance of shooting 2-for-10 from the field in the first half held the Mavericks back. He and the rest of the team missed 20 of their 26 attempts from downtown, which led to many long rebounds exploited by the Hornets to make easy buckets via fast breaks. As the engine of the team, LaMelo Ball delivered 11 assists in first two quarters.

Whatever coach Jason Kidd said to the Mavericks in the locker room during the halftime break, worked. Instead of shooting tough triples, the team broke in with resolution to press the Hornets in the second half to grant both Derek Lively II and Dwight Powell more chances to finish next to the rim. After the opponents closed in to protect the paint, Grant Williams, Tim Hardway Jr. and Jaden Hardy were able to shoot easier 3-pointers in open space.

Kyrie Irving had five assists in the third quarter when the Mavericks outscored the Hornets 33-22. Doncic then managed to run the game with a clear head, making all four shots within the 3-point line and delivering four assists. Williams drained three triples from the two corners and top of the key. The team went 13-for-21 in field goals (FGs) to get 41 points in this quarter alone.

The reason that the fourth period of Sunday’s game didn’t soon enter garbage time was the excellent individual attack by Ball. He made eight of his nine shots, including draining five triples, to get 23 points in this period.

The Hornets trailed by only three points (119-116) when they were in possession of the ball with 8.4 seconds left. However, rookie Brandon Miller committed a five-second violation during a throw-in, giving the ball back to the opponents without costing them anything. As Irving made three straight free throws, he sealed the deal for the Mavericks.

Other games on Sunday (away teams come first):

Phoenix Suns 120-106 Detroit Pistons

Devin Booker and Bradley sat out on the game at Little Cesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan, but Kevin Durant refused to see the Suns’ losing streak extend to four games. Though he was playing back-to-back, the 35-year-old veteran went 14-for-27 from the field to drop season-high 41 points, including 18 in the third quarter, to take his side to victory. He went to the free throw line 12 times and didn’t miss a single shot.

Toronto Raptors 123-116 San Antonio Spurs

The Raptors overcame a 22-point deficit to defeat the Spurs at AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. Scottie Barnes had a double-double of 30 points and 11 rebounds plus six assists, three steals and three blocks. OG Anunoby got 24 points and seven rebounds, The two combined to go 12-for-23 behind the arc.

On the Spurs’ side, Victor Wembanyama missed 11 of his 16 FG attempts as he struggled against the opponents’ forward depth. However, he still set a no-fly-zone in the paint with five blocks.

Golden State Warriors 104-115 Cleveland Cavaliers

Stephen Curry again had a taste of utter helpless at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. He shot 8-for-16 from the field and made seven 3-pointers to get 28 points, but only saw three of his teammates score in double digits. The Cavaliers shut him out of the paint and double-teamed him when he attacked off the dribble, which explained why he went 1-for-5 within the 3-point line and committed six turnovers.

Donovan Mitchell made 11 of his 19 FGs to get game-high 31 points. Both he and Darius Garland kept attacking Klay Thompson and Chris Paul as the defensive weak links of the opponents. Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley did a good job of protecting the Cavaliers’ rim while combining to grab 10 offensive rebounds.

Memphis Grizzlies 112-100 Portland Trail Blazers

The Grizzlies finally secured their first win of the 2023-24 regular season and were the final team to do so. Desmond Bane scored 30 points at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, including 13 in the fourth period during which his side led 30-14. Jaren Jackson Jr. got 27 points after shooting 11-for-18 in FGs. The two will have to perform like this in the future if they don’t want the season over for their team before Ja Morant comes back from suspension.