Mavs Supporting Cast Catches Heat From Jason Kidd

Luka Doncic gets little help in blowout loss at Charlotte Hornets

Luka Doncic came up big in the Dallas Mavericks' 129-108 loss at the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday, but his supporting cast struggled to produce. 

Doncic racked up 37 points, four rebounds and three assists, while knocking down eight 3s. The rest of the Mavs scored 71 on 26-69 (37.6 percent) shooting from the floor and 6-26 (23.1 percent) from 3-point range.

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Jalen Brunson vs. Hornets

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Luka Doncic vs. Hornets

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Luka Doncic Makes Pass vs. Hornets

“Luka was very good, but tonight we just couldn’t get anybody to join him,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “There’s going to be nights where he doesn’t score the ball or have 30-something points.

“In his book it could be an off night, which is sometimes just a great night for average players. We hold him at a very high level, and again he came to play tonight. Unfortunately, no one else did.”

It was a rare night when Jalen Brunson and Dorian Finney-Smith both struggled to convert at an efficient clip. They combined to score 18 on 6-18 (33.3 percent) shooting, including 2-8 (25 percent) on 3s.

With Spencer Dinwiddie and Reggie Bullock out, it became too much for the Mavericks to overcome, especially considering their underwhelming execution on defense. The Hornets made 20 3s and shot 50.0 percent from the floor.

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Dorian Finney-Smith vs. Hornets

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Isaiah Thomas vs. Mavericks

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Dallas Mavericks vs. Charlotte Hornets

The Mavericks took a 74-72 lead midway through the third quarter after overcoming a double-figure deficit in the first half. Things quickly unraveled, as Dallas was outscored 57-34 the rest of the way. 

"Sometimes when you rely on scoring when things are good there can be some slippage on the defensive end,'' Kidd said. "We are trending down and we have to pay attention to that and get back to playing the way that we have in the past."

Despite finishing with consecutive losses to end the trip, the Mavs (43-28) went 3-2 on the road going into Monday night's game with the Minnesota Timberwolves at American Airlines Center.


Published
Grant Afseth
GRANT AFSETH

Grant Afseth is a Dallas Mavericks reporter for MavericksGameday.com and an NBA reporter for NBA Analysis Network. He previously covered the Indiana Pacers and NBA for CNHI's Kokomo Tribune and various NBA teams for USA TODAY Sports Media Group. Follow him on Twitter (@grantafseth), Facebook (@grantgafseth), and YouTube (@grantafseth). You can reach Grant at grantafseth35@gmail.com.