NBA News Wire
Bobcats 114, Mavericks 89
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Center Al Jefferson scored 30 points and forward Anthony Tolliver came off the bench to score 22 as the Charlotte Bobcats cooled off the streaking Dallas Mavericks with a 114-89 victory Tuesday night.
The Bobcats went on extended runs to open both the second and third quarters, going on a 10-0 spurt to open the second quarter and then a 13-1 run to open the third. They led by as many as 27.
It marked just the second time in the Bobcats’ 10-year franchise history that they beat Dallas. The Mavericks came into the game with a 17-1 edge in the all-time series.
The Mavericks came to Charlotte riding a five-game winning streak.
Jefferson, snubbed when the All-Star reserves were announced, scored 30 or more points in four of his last six games. He was 14 of 23 from the field and also had eight rebounds. Tolliver finished six of eight from the field with five 3-pointers.
The Bobcats also got 15 points from guard Gerald Henderson and 10 from center Bismack Biyombo.
Forward Dirk Nowitzki shrugged off a sprained left ankle that sidelined him much of the second quarter to lead the Mavericks with 16 points. Guard Monta Ellis also scored 16.
The Bobcats led 28-26 after one quarter. Their 10-0 spurt to open the second quarter pushed the lead to 12, and they went on to lead 58-44 at halftime. Nowitzki did not play the final 9:22 of the half after spraining his left ankle and going to the locker room, but did return to start the second half.
The 13-1 spurt to open the third quarter pushed Charlotte’s lead to 71-45. Charlotte eventually led by as many as 27 at 80-53, and led 89-65 going into the fourth quarter. Dallas never got closer than 17 in the fourth quarter.
Charlotte is now 23-29, while Dallas fell to 31-22.
NOTES: The Mavericks won the only previous game between the teams this season, 89-82, in Dallas on Dec. 3. … The Mavericks were playing the middle contest of a three-game road trip. They opened the trip with a 102-91 win at Boston on Sunday. … Mavs F Dirk Nowitzki will be making his 12th NBA All-Star appearance this weekend in New Orleans. He had a string of 11 in a row before missing out last season. Only five players in NBA history have appeared in more All-Star games. … The Mavs came into Tuesday’s game 14-6 against Eastern Conference opponents this season. … The Mavs held a 17-1 edge in the all-time series entering Tuesday’s game. The Bobcats’ only win came in Charlotte in November of 2012. … The Bobcats’ 22 victories coming into Tuesday night were already better than the 21 wins they had all of last season. … The Mavs continue to be without G Gal Mekel (right knee surgery). … The Bobcats have not had C Brendan Haywood (stress fracture left foot) available this season, and have lost F Jeffery Taylor (ruptured right Achilles) for the rest of the season. … This was the first game of a back-to-back for both teams. The Bobcats will play at Brooklyn on Wednesday night, while the Mavs will close out this road trip at Indiana.
