The Dallas Mavericks took on the Charlotte Hornets Thursday night, notching a 103-96 win. As has been the case of late, every game is critical regardless of the competition and the Mavs pulled this one out in their trademark gritty fashion.
Let’s get to the grades!
Kyrie Irving: A+
25 Points / 9 Rebounds / 5 Assists / 2 Steals / 2 Blocks (38 Minutes)
A+ is probably a bit high based solely on the numbers, but Kyrie was unstoppable at all the right times and was the primary key in winning this game. He had huge defensive stops and nailed some crucial buckets throughout the game, especially toward the closing moments. His three point shooting was the only real knock on his game (2-for-9).
Max Christie: B-
8 Points / 4 Rebounds / 4 Assists / 1 Steal / 0 Blocks (34 Minutes)
Christie has yet to rejuvenate his 15-point streak, but put in a solid performance generally. His shooting wasn’t the best, but he chipped in a little bit everywhere. Not his finest night, but still solid.
Klay Thompson: B+
18 Points / 2 Rebounds / 0 Assists / 0 Steals / 2 Blocks (28 Minutes)
Thompson still can’t seem to hit 2-point shots at a decent clip, but he is shooting threes well of late, and had a nice shooting night in general against Charlotte. He was 4-for-7 from three and 6-for-12 overall and tallied two blocks to boot.
Naji Marshall: C+
3 Points / 9 Rebounds / 6 Assist / 0 Steals / 0 Blocks (33 Minutes)
Somehow Naji channeled P.J.’s performance from last game. He was a bewildering 1-for-11 from the floor and 0-for-6 from three. He even missed one of his two free throws. He made up for it in part with a great rebounding total and led the team in assists. Despite deplorable shooting, he still made a positive impact in other ways.
Moses Brown: A+
20 Points / 11 Rebounds / 0 Assists / 3 Steals / 2 Blocks (31 Minutes)
This is Brown at his best. While he won’t replicate this every game, this was not a fluke either. He basically went beast-mode shooting 9-for-14, turning away shots and demonstrating quick hands that resulted in strips. If Brown can do 75% of this until Gafford and Lively are back, we may just have a temporary anchor to get us through the injuries. With all due respect to Kessler Edwards, this will hopefully not be the last time Brown starts.
Dante Exum: A-
12 Points / 3 Rebounds / 3 Assists / 4 Steals / 1 Block (25 Minutes)
This was a great 25 minutes for Exum, as he drilled 3-for-4 from the floor and showed off his defensive chops. The block was great, but the four steals were excellent, highlighted by one that came off an in-bound which he then converted into a layup. He was super active and made the most of his minutes.
Dwight Powell: B+
6 Points / 6 Rebounds / 3 Assists / 0 Steals / 0 Blocks (16 Minutes)
Powell could have sniffed an A+ tonight in his limited minutes, but couldn’t seem to hit shots within one foot of the rim. Aside from this, he did shoot 50% on six shots and has somehow proven to be a very good rebounder since returning from injury, with 4-of-6 rebounds coming on the offensive glass in this one.
