NBA TV: 3 Things to Watch in Hornets-Mavericks
The Charlotte Hornets and Dallas Mavericks duel in a Tuesday matchup on NBA TV at 7 p.m. ET.
Joel Bartilotta, RotoWire.com | March 3, 2026 6:59 PM
The Hornets and Mavericks will face off for the second time this season at Spectrum Center. The Charlotte Hornets (30-31) host the Dallas Mavericks (21-39) at Spectrum Center on Tuesday. These teams played a nail-biter on Jan. 29, with Charlotte prevailing, 123-121.
Here are three key storylines to know heading into Tuesday’s matchup:
1. Charlotte Can’t Stop Winning The Hornets have been one of the best teams in the NBA over the last month. They come into this matchup amid a four-game winning streak after a 109-93 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday. Their victorious ways have been going on much longer than that, though, with Charlotte winning 14 of their last 17 outings overall. The offense has really carried them to this point, with the Hornets ranked second in offensive efficiency and first in 3-pointers made during that span. It’s no surprise when looking at the depth of this starting unit that Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges are all averaging at least 17.9 points per game. They’re the only team in the NBA with four players averaging at least 17 points per game. Charlotte sits 10th in the Eastern Conference, but they’re only 3.5 games behind the Philadelphia 76ers in sixth.
2. Dallas Battling Through Adversity It’s been a trying season for the Mavericks, as their expected path back to contending was undercut by injuries. Kyrie Irving will not suit up this season, and Anthony Davis missed time before being traded. They come into this matchup losing 11 of their last 13 outings. Many of those have been without Cooper Flagg (foot) as well, falling to 12th in the Western Conference. They also sit 23rd in offensive efficiency and 25th in defensive rating during that span. One bright spot has been Naji Marshall’s play, averaging 18.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.2 steals across his last 22 outings. However, he suffered a finger issue in Dallas’ most recent defeat, and he’ll miss this game as well. In addition, P.J. Washington, Marvin Bagley, Klay Thompson and Dereck Lively are all on the injury report. It’ll be up to Khris Middleton, Max Christie and Brandon Williams to carry the load as long as all of these guys remain out.
3. Knueppel Gaining on Flagg in Rookie of the Year Race Flagg was projected to win Rookie of the Year at the beginning of the season after being the top pick in the draft, but Knueppel is giving his former Duke teammate some serious competition. The Charlotte sharpshooter set an NBA record for most 3-pointers by a rookie in a season just last week and is currently averaging 19.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 0.8 steals per game. He’s doing that on 49% shooting from the field, 44% from 3-point range and 88% from the free-throw line. Those elite shooting numbers have him neck-and-neck with Flagg for Rookie of the Year, but the Mavericks’ top pick has been brilliant in his own right. Flagg is averaging 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. He’s unfortunately missed the last three weeks due to a foot issue, but he’s expected to return sometime this week.
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