The Charlotte Hornets are set to host the Dallas Mavericks on Monday afternoon, looking for their first three-game winning streak of the season. However, the Hornets have recently been dealt a significant setback with a severe wrist injury of swingman Brandon Miller.
The Hornets managed a 2-1 record on their latest road trip, though two games in Los Angeles were postponed due to California wildfires. Normally, this would be considered a positive outcome for Charlotte, but the loss of Miller has cast a shadow over the team. After their Friday night victory against the Bulls, where LaMelo Ball described the situation as “tough times,” it was revealed that Miller’s absence would be prolonged.
To fill the void left by Miller, the Hornets might rely on Josh Okogie, recently acquired in a trade that sent center Nick Richards to Phoenix. In their last game, Nick Smith Jr. logged 26 minutes in his first NBA start and Seth Curry contributed 15 points off the bench.
Despite not playing since Friday’s 106-98 home victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Dallas Mavericks enter the game with their own injury concerns. Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks with 25 points in that game; however, he continues to recover from a back injury and has only played in three games in January. Additional injuries to Jaden Hardy (right ankle) and Dwight Powell (hip) add to Dallas’s worries.
The Mavericks have struggled recently, losing nine of their last 13 games and their past five road outings. After a solid win against one of the NBA’s top teams, they’ll aim to maintain momentum against one of the league’s struggling teams.
This matchup also marks a return to Charlotte for Mavericks forward P.J. Washington, who spent nearly five years with the Hornets before joining Dallas where he’s averaging 13.1 points and a career-best 7.8 rebounds per game.
