January 29, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Moussa Cisse (30) battles for the ball with Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) and Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabate (14) during the second half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images The rematch between the Dallas Mavericks and Charlotte Hornets looked set to be a must-see clash a few weeks ago.
That outlook has changed, but with the two teams trending in opposite directions, there could be noticeable fallout from Tuesday night’s game when the Hornets host the Mavericks.
The rookie matchup between Dallas forward Cooper Flagg and Charlotte guard Kon Kneuppel is unlikely to be repeated. Flagg was out for three weeks with a foot sprain.
The Hornets will look to build momentum by rising to the top of the standings with four straight double-digit wins and aim for a fifth straight win.
“The crowd is getting louder and louder,” Charlotte forward Miles Bridges said. “Every win gets us closer and closer to the postseason. The fans show up for us and we feel the love.”
Brandon Miller has led Charlotte in scoring for the third straight game, averaging 27.3 points in those outings. In the Hornets’ first home game, Coby White scored 20 points in a 109-93 win over Portland on Saturday.
“We’re trying to make sure he’s comfortable with this team,” Bridges said. “We’re happy to have him.”
Charlotte won 123-121 at Dallas on Jan. 29 despite Flagg’s 49 points, the most by a Mavericks player this season. Knueppel had 34 points for the winning team that night.
Former Duke players shot 30-for-45 from the field in that game.
Dallas is showing a terrible decline, with the problem getting worse with three consecutive losses. The Mavericks have won just two of 15 games since their win over Golden State on Jan. 22.
The Hornets have lost just three games since that day as part of a 14-3 record. As a bonus, the Charlotte roster appears to be back in good order after some ups and downs due to suspensions and injuries.
“It’s always good to have a fully healthy team,” coach Charles Lee said. “We have tremendous depth right now.”
Aside from Flagg’s potential absence, the Mavericks could also be without guard Klay Thompson. He sat out Sunday’s 100-87 home loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder with a right adductor contusion.
Dallas has had a different player lead the team in scoring in each of its past five games, including Caleb Martin’s season-high 18 points.
“I thought Caleb was aggressive,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “… The more time he spends, the more confident he becomes.”
Martin has had a variety of roles in the NBA since beginning his career with the Hornets in 2019.
Mavericks is trying to get employees to click.
Khris Middleton scored four points Sunday, his lowest score in eight games since joining the Washington Wizards in the Anthony Davis trade. Still, he can make an impact on the team without scoring many points.
“Having him be a vet in our locker room is definitely something I’m looking for,” Dallas guard Max Christie said. “I continue to observe and see how a man of his caliber actually goes about his business.”
Kidd said Middleton could be a factor for the team for some time.
“We’re going to try not to play with him for 40 minutes a night,” Kidd said. “But I think his ability to score and lead as a vet is exactly what we need in our locker room.”
–Field level media
