Home Cooking: Mavs, Kristaps Porzingis Sting Hornets, 120-96

The Dallas Mavericks dominated the Charlotte Hornets 120-96 at the American Airlines Center.

Home cooking came at the right time for the Dallas Mavericks, as they secured their first victory at the AAC since Nov. 15.

Dallas crushed the Charlotte Hornets 120-96 Monday night, the Mavericks winning a second consecutive game without Luka Doncic convincingly, with Kristaps Porzingis as the catalyst. 

Porzingis finished with 24 points, 13 rebounds, and five blocks in 25 minutes of action. And he did most of that damage in a stunning first half, when he finished with 22 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks. 

“It was a good night for us,'' KP said. "We started off shooting really well and it kind of carried over to everybody. ... We played really free out there. ... Tonight it was good on both ends and you see the results.''

Said Tim Hardaway Jr., who pitched in with 19 points: "We just did a great job of staying ready, staying poised, being aggressive and not letting up on the gas even though we had a game yesterday."

Just as Luka is nursing a sore ankle, the Hornets are also currently dealing with players out of the lineup. Flashy point guard LaMelo Ball is away from the team due to the NBA's safety and health protocols, leaving the Hornets down a significant piece to their young puzzle. In addition to the star guard, Charlotte was without center Mason Plumlee and backups Ish Smith and Jalen McDaniels.

But the show must go on, and the curtains closed with the Mavericks on the right side. Dallas seized the opportunity to start the game right by going on a 10-0 run. Later in the first quarter, the Mavericks ripped off an 8-0 scoring burst. And eventually, the Mavericks exploded for 70 points in the first half. 

Among the highlights: Porzingis, once known for emphatic blocks, took a trip down memory lane by rejecting high-flying Miles Bridges' dunk attempt. 

While Porzingis found his groove in a way that pushed the Mavs back above .500 at 14-13, the rest of the team felt good vibrations with Jalen Brunson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Hardaway Jr., and Trey Burke combining to pile on 69 points. 

Said Burke (22 points) via Bally: "We're figuring it out every day. ... We gotta continue to weather the storm, but this is good ... going 2-0 in the last two games.''

And as the game marched on, Boban and Josh Green (seven points, six rebounds, three assists in 21 minutes) and, well, everybody, got a chance to show their stuff.

Luka's reaction to Bobi 😂@dallasmavs | #MFFL pic.twitter.com/KN2HsqsGoJ

— Bally Sports Southwest (@BallySportsSW) December 14, 2021

In taking down 15-14 Charlotte, the Mavs have now won three of their last four. Dallas plays the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday night at the AAC with Doncic's injury status still up in the air.