The Charlotte Hornets lit up the perimeter on Saturday night at American Airlines Center, connecting on 16 three-pointers to defeat the Dallas Mavericks 120–116 in their lone home preseason game.
Charlotte opened the contest with a 30–13 lead late in the first quarter and maintained control behind crisp ball movement and aggressive rebounding. The Hornets finished shooting 48.9% from the field and 41.0% from beyond the arc while outrebounding Dallas 54–37, including a 15–5 margin on the offensive glass.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said Charlotte’s perimeter pace reminded him of one of the NBA’s elite shooting teams and proved difficult to contain.
“They’re like Boston,” Kidd said. “They’re trying to shoot a lot of threes. You’ve got to be able to rebound the ball. If you give them second opportunities in this league — even though it’s preseason — you’re going to get hurt.”
Charlotte Hornets’ Early Shooting and Rebounding Control
The Hornets’ starting group led the offensive charge. LaMelo Ball finished with 20 points and six assists, while Miles Bridges recorded 20 points and 11 rebounds. Rookie center Ryan Kalkbrenner added 14 points on 7-of-7 shooting with 10 boards, and Brandon Miller chipped in 15 points and five assists.
Kidd said Dallas must improve its execution on the glass to prevent second-chance scoring from deciding games.
“It’s something we’ll talk about tomorrow and work on as we go forward,” Kidd said. “We did rebound the ball, but being able to take care of it and finish on the other end — that’s where the separation happened.”
Jason Kidd Sees Growth Despite Slow Start
Dallas fell behind early, struggling to match the Hornets’ tempo. Kidd said the team’s slow start created an uphill climb, though he liked how the second unit responded to trim the deficit.
“Slow start,” Kidd said. “It happens. After last night, they jumped on us, but I like what that second group did. They cut into the lead. When you’re learning your team, there are going to be different lineups as we go forward just to see how people handle it. Slow starts happen in this league, and the guys competed.”
Kidd said he saw encouraging signs from his group once they settled into a rhythm on both ends.
“I think we were down three or two in the first after giving up 30, and then they were stuck on 34 while the game went on,” Kidd said. “We got into a rhythm — a lot of good things in that time period. Defensively it was good, and then the ball was moving.”
Kidd also noted that Charlotte’s three-point volume threw Dallas out of rhythm and forced adjustments defensively.
“They were shooting threes, and we thought it was going to be a three-point contest,” Kidd said. “They made them — we didn’t. We’ve got to be better on both ends. Open threes and open twos in this league — when you give teams that many options — it’s going to be tough.”
The Mavericks’ coach added that he will continue to use the preseason to evaluate rotations.
“We’ve got to continue to look at different combinations to see what gives us the best way to start games,” Kidd said. “If we can get better starts, we’ll go with that group.”
Cooper Flagg Delivers Energy and Confidence
Rookie forward Cooper Flagg gave Dallas an early spark in his first home appearance. In the opening two minutes, he recorded two assists and two steals, energizing both his teammates and the crowd.
“Just coming out with good energy — starting at a high level and trying to hold that throughout the game,” Flagg said.
Flagg finished with 11 points, four assists, three rebounds, and three steals in 24 minutes, though he also committed five turnovers. He said his overall performance was solid but left room to grow.
“I think it was solid,” Flagg said. “The second half I got lost a little, watched too much. The turnovers weren’t great, but there’s room for improvement.”
Two of Flagg’s turnovers came on behind-the-back passes that missed their targets. He said his willingness to experiment comes from trusting his instincts.
“That’s part of it — trusting your game and instincts,” Flagg said. “They probably weren’t great passes, but I’m just trying to have fun, be creative, and experiment a bit.”
Kidd said the coaching staff wants to continue giving Flagg opportunities to handle the ball and learn through those situations.
“Oh, it was good — another good night on both ends, offense and defense,” Kidd said. “He made plays for his teammates, was able to knock down shots, and defensively came up with some big plays. He had some turnovers, but that’s gonna happen. He’s getting used to handling the ball. The only time he turned it over was when he tried to go behind his back.”
Flagg’s most memorable play came when he caught a lob from D’Angelo Russell and finished with a one-handed dunk, sending the crowd into a roar.
“It opens the floor,” Flagg said. “If we can really figure out that two-man game, teams will have to bring help or live with our guards making plays. It goes back to using our size and taking advantage of it.”
Flagg added that learning how to complement Anthony Davis will be one of his biggest developmental focuses in the preseason.
“It’s huge,” Flagg said. “It’s a different level, different spacing. I’ve got to find more ways to help AD — play off him better when he’s posting up or getting ISOs. That’s what preseason is for — learning how to fit together.”
Dereck Lively II and Anthony Davis Anchor the Paint
Dereck Lively II added 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting with six rebounds, two blocks, and two steals. Anthony Davis contributed 12 points in 24 minutes as the two continued building chemistry in the frontcourt.
Lively said the Hornets’ three-point success underscored the need for more discipline on defense.
“Locking in on the defensive end,” Lively said. “We know they’re going to hit shots no matter if it’s the first quarter or the fourth. We just have to be solid and disciplined — both in our rotations and on the ball.”
He said the Mavericks’ rebounding issues were a matter of attention to fundamentals.
“It’s really just about us not watching the ball, tagging, coming back in, and sticking to our fundamentals,” Lively said. “There are times when the ball’s flying around, but we’ve got to stay solid and stick to our game plan.”
Playing next to Davis, Lively said, has accelerated his development.
“It’s just knowing when he’s out on the perimeter, I’m backing him up, and vice versa,” Lively said. “We’re learning each other. When I’m talking, he’s talking. We’re backing each other up. It’s been a lot of fun.”
He added that sharing the floor with another big requires communication and spacing.
“We just can’t step on each other’s toes,” Lively said. “It’s about learning one another. We had the summer to grow, and now we’re putting that into game situations. Things don’t always go how you want, so it’s about being adaptive.”
When asked about his three-point attempt, Lively laughed.
“I was surprised I was that open,” Lively said. “I rushed it a little, but next one I’ll take my time and knock it down.”
Lively said he’s focusing more on facilitating from the high post when Davis operates inside.
“It’s about being a passer, using my vision and voice,” Lively said. “Sometimes I’ve got to help AD get to the right spots. We’re trying to find mismatches — it’s like a chess game, and we’re learning on the fly.”
He added that Davis’ gravity makes his job easier.
“He draws a lot of eyes,” Lively said. “Everyone’s focused on him, so I’ve got to find the holes in the defense. Maybe set a downstream or get into another action with Coop. There are so many possibilities out there.”
Reflecting on his own growth, Lively said the lessons from Summer League were essential.
“It gave me a feel for the competitiveness, speed, and tempo of the game,” Lively said. “You can’t be a robot out there — you have to adjust and play basketball.”
Klay Thompson and Naji Marshall Provide Scoring Depth
Klay Thompson led the Mavericks with 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting from deep, continuing his strong perimeter rhythm. Naji Marshall added 13 points off the bench, while P.J. Washington scored 12 and D’Angelo Russell contributed seven points and five assists.
Kidd said Thompson’s defense on LaMelo Ball was a key evaluation point in the preseason rotation.
“Melo’s a little different because he can score and pass,” Kidd said. “But we thought looking at that tonight was something we needed to see. Making it tough on Melo isn’t easy — he’s gonna have the ball 90% of the time. But I thought Klay did a good job. He picked us up offensively too, knocking down some shots. He can still compete at that level at this stage of his career.”
What’s Next
The Mavericks (1–1) will face the Utah Jazz on Monday night in Salt Lake City. The Hornets (1–1) return home to host the New York Knicks in their next preseason contest.
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