Mavericks beat the Hornets 103-96

Despite missing key players like P.J. Washington, Anthony Davis, and Dereck Lively II, Dallas faced a depleted Charlotte squad without LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Jusuf Nurkic. Dallas started Kyrie Irving, Max Christie, Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, and Moses Brown—marking their 30th different lineup this season. Charlotte countered with KJ Simpson, Nick Smith Jr., Josh Green, Miles Bridges, and Mark Williams. The Hornets lost their size advantage early when Williams picked up two quick fouls.

Moses Brown scored Dallas’ first points, followed by an and-one from Klay Thompson and key shots from Christie. Nick Smith Jr. and ex-Maverick Josh Green responded for Charlotte, with Green receiving a tribute video during a timeout. Dallas jumped to an 18-7 lead, but Charlotte's bench rallied, cutting the deficit to 25-24 by the first quarter's end.