Porzingis leads Luka-less Mavs to 120-96 rout of Hornets

Updated Dec. 13, 2021 11:10 p.m. ET

Associated Press

DALLAS (AP) — Kristaps Porzingis had 24 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks, and Dallas hit a season-high 19 3-pointers as the Mavericks routed the Charlotte Hornets 120-96 on Monday night to sweep a back-to-back without All-Star guard Luka Doncic.

Porzingis led the Mavericks (14-13) to a 70-43 halftime lead, securing his sixth double-double of the season with 22 points and 12 rebounds before the break. The 7-foot-3 Latvian played only eight minutes in the second half to finish with 25.

Trey Burke scored a season-high 22 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. had 19 off the bench. They combined on 6-for-9 shooting from 3-point range before halftime as Dallas, which won 103-84 on Sunday night at Oklahoma City, snapped a five-game home losing streak with its largest winning margin of the season.

The Hornets (15-14), who opened a six-game road trip, their longest of the season, were led by Terry Rozier and Kelly Oubre Jr. with 20 points each. Rozier played his first game after missing four while in the NBA’s COVID-19 protocol.

Charlotte played its fifth straight game without guard LaMelo Ball, who is still in the league’s health and safety protocol.

Dallas scored the first 10 points while Charlotte missed its first seven field goal attempts. The Mavericks led by 30 in the closing seconds of the first half (70-40).

Doncic retwisted an ankle Friday night at Indiana. The Mavericks were 0-4 without the 22-year-old Slovenian before Sunday’s win.

TIP-INS

Hornets: Fs PJ Washington and Nick Richards returned from non-COVID-19 illnesses. … C Mason Plumlee and F Jalen McDaniels are out of the health and safety protocol and were assigned to Greensboro of the G League for conditioning and rehab.

Mavericks: Dorian Finney-Smith went 5 for 7 from the floor for 13 points in the third period for the highest-scoring quarter of his six-year NBA career. … It was Porzingis’ first career 20-10 half. … Doncic will be re-evaluated before the team’s next game, Wednesday at home against the Los Angeles Lakers.

UP NEXT

Hornets: At the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.

Mavericks: Wednesday’s home game against the Lakers will be the first between the teams this season after Dallas took the 2020-21 season series 2-1, with the home team winning each time.

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