Charlotte Hornets (31-31) beat Dallas Mavericks (21-40) 117-90 at home on Tuesday, March 3. The final margin was 27 points.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Hornets had the better start, winning the first 31-23 to lead by 8 after one. The Hornets kept the pressure on with a 26-25 second quarter, carrying a 9-point lead into halftime.
The Hornets won the third 35-24 to create some separation, taking a 20-point lead into the fourth. The Hornets took the fourth 25-18; the Hornets finished the job for a 117-90 regulation win.
Why it was lopsided
The Hornets got more from their shots, finishing at 59.1% effective field-goal shooting compared with 39.9% for the Mavericks. The Hornets grabbed 27.1% of their own misses, while the Mavericks recovered 16.3%. That shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
The Mavericks did win one battle, the free-throw line: FT rate of 41.9 against 14.8. The Hornets made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 98 possessions per team, the Hornets produced 118.9 points per 100 possessions to 91.4 for the Mavericks.
The Hornets' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 54-30.
Who stood out
Brandon Miller was the game's biggest individual force for CHA: 17 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast on 6-10 shooting. His Game Score of 14.5 led everyone. His team was +12 with him on the floor.
Brandon Williams led the Mavericks with 18 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast on 4-10 shooting, good for a 14 Game Score.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Hornets about a 88% chance.
Across the last 3 meetings in our records, Charlotte Hornets lead 2-1.
The Hornets are now 31-31, and the Mavericks are 21-40. The Hornets last five before this game: L-W-W-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.