Stats rundown: 5 numbers from the Mavericks 120-96 win against the Charlotte Hornets

The Dallas Mavericks picked up one of their best wins of the season Monday night, drubbing the Charlotte Hornets 120-96. Seemingly every Mavericks player that played made an impact, with Kristaps Porzingis and Jalen Brunson leading the way.

Dallas is back to a game over .500 and are very close to having a positive point differential this season. Perhaps things are turning around for this Mavericks team.

14, 4, and 1: Kristaps Porzingis points, rebounds and blocks in the first quarter

The Unicorn came out aggressive to start the game, putting up 14 points, four rebounds, and one block in the eight minutes he played in the first. He made his presence felt early knocking down two threes, catching a lob from Dorian Finney-Smith, while also getting to the free throw line. He was aggressive on the glass and in the paint on defense, getting a filthy block on Miles Bridges. Dallas finished the quarter up 37-20 thanks to the fast start from Porzingis. Getting him to start games so aggressively in terms of shot-selection should be a major point emphasis on a night-to-night basis. Porzingis finished the game with 24 points, 13 rebounds, and five blocks.

51.8/46.3/87.5: Dallas’ shooting splits against the Hornets

Everybody was pouring it in from all over the floor tonight. Porzingis led the way with 24 points while Tim Hardaway Jr. and Trey Burke finished with a combined 41 points on 16-of-31 from the field. The ball movement and spacing was fantastic. Porzingis was taking good shots and playing at his own pace. Jalen Brunson did a fantastic job running the offense in the absence of Luka Doncic, chipping in 13 points and eight assists on the night. It’s so crucial for these guys to find their spots and get the looks they want. As the season wears on, finding their rhythm and getting consistent looks will be huge to get this team’s shooting numbers back on track. Tonight was a good step in that direction.

14-4: Dallas’ advantage against Charlotte in fast break points

Going into the matchup, Charlotte was third in the league in pace, but they couldn’t keep up with the Mavericks tonight. The Mavs were doing a fantastic job on defense, getting four blocks and three steals in the first half that turned into open transition threes and multiple two-on-one scenarios. The Mavs continued to keep their foot on the gas throughout the first half, finishing the second quarter up 70-43.

9: Turnovers for the Mavericks

The Mavericks headed into tonight’s game averaging 14 turnovers per game, ranking 16^th in the league. On top of their stellar shooting night, they did a fantastic job handling the ball and making the right plays. Dallas only had five turnovers heading into the final five minutes of the game. They picked up four in the final three minutes after Kidd made his final substitution. There was a sense of confidence throughout the entire game as Dallas refused to lose focus despite the large lead. Good morale boost in a dominant win for the Mavericks.

7, 5, 2, and 1: Josh Green’s stats(you know I had to do it)

The Aussie finished with seven points, five rebounds, two assists, and one block as a plus-12. He was all over the floor tonight on both sides of the ball, making the correct reads on defense and the right plays on offense. This was Green’s first time making three’s in back-to-back games. It was clear that he’s getting more and more comfortable out on the floor. Really like what I’m seeing from him.

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