The Dallas Mavericks have improved to 5-1 on the year after erasing a 15-point deficit to finish atop the Charlotte Hornets 124-118.
LaMelo Ball’s 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists – which included 23 points on 5-of-6 from three in the fourth – was not enough to drag the Hornets to their third win of the season.
The 22-year-old joins Anthony Mason as the only players in franchise history to put up a 30-point triple-double.
The Mavericks, meanwhile, were led by Luka Dončić’s 23 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists whilst Grant Williams added a much-needed 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting.
Kyrie Irving put up 18 points and 10 assists whilst Jaden Hardy added 14 points and four rebounds off the bench.
Dereck Lively II (15 points, 14 rebounds), Tim Hardaway Jr. (16 points, 4-of-12 from three), and Dwight Powell (10 points, five rebounds) also finished in double figures as Jason Kidd’s squad grinded out another victory.
Charlotte jumped out to an early lead which grew to a dozen at the half before an extended 30-19 run saw the Mavericks chew into the deficit.
Ball’s unreal fourth quarter kept the Hornets in the game, but it was Dallas who prevailed thanks to a 41-34 final frame.
Despite losing the rebounding and paint battle, committing more turnovers, and shooting a lower percentage from the floor, Dallas managed to sneak away with the win thanks to their bench scoring and ability to restrict the Hornets from behind the arc (8-of-30 shooting, 3-of-20 aside from Ball).
Mark Williams finished with a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double for the Hornets on 8-of-8 from the field whilst Nick Richards’ 12 points and nine rebounds off the bench kept the bigman rotation steady for head coach Steve Clifford.
Gordon Hayward (20 points, eight assists) and P.J. Washington (20 points, four rebounds) also contributed for Charlotte.
The Hornets are back in action against the Wizards on Thursday at home whilst Dallas face the Magic in Orlando tomorrow in the second night of a back-to-back.
