Jeremy Lamb

Walker leads balanced effort as Hornets beat Mavs 109-101

Published Dec. 9, 2016 12:39 p.m. ET

foxsports

DALLAS (AP) -- Kemba Walker scored 19 points, Nicolas Batum had 14 points and 15 rebounds, and the Charlotte Hornets rallied to beat the Dallas Mavericks 109-101 on Monday night.

The Hornets took advantage of an injury to Mavericks center Andrew Bogut late in the first quarter to dominate the paint and the boards in coming back from an 11-point, third-quarter deficit.

Marco Belinelli scored 12 of his 16 points in the second half, including the team's first two 3-pointers after the Hornets missed their first 14 from long range. Six Hornets scored in double figures.

Harrison Barnes scored 29 points and Deron Williams had his first double-double of the season with 15 points and 13 assists.

Bogut limped off the court with 45 seconds left in the first quarter after a collision on the defensive end. He grabbed his right knee immediately and was ruled out for the rest of the game.

After a 15-4 Mavericks run early in the third quarter temporarily opened up a back-and-forth game, the Hornets answered with a 10-1 run and the game stayed close into the final minutes.

Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle was assessed a technical foul arguing a call and Batum converted the free throw for a 98-91 lead with 4:26 to play.

After the Hornets opened the lead to 104-95 with 2:01 to play, Dallas scored the next six points and had a chance to get closer, but Cody Zeller blocked Williams' shot in the lane and Jeremy Lamb hit a 3 with 13.9 seconds to play.

The Hornets made 24 of 26 free throws in beating the Mavs for the second time in five days. They also outrebounded Dallas 55-35 and scored 54 points in the paint.

The teams played a see-saw first half in which neither team led by more than six points. Williams' driving layup just before the final buzzer gave Dallas a 50-48 lead after 15 lead changes and 13 ties in the half.

TIP-INS

Hornets: Charlotte has lost six of eight aside from its two wins over Dallas. . Marvin Williams missed his sixth consecutive game with a hyperextended left knee.

Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki missed his fifth straight game and 15th overall with right Achilles soreness. J.J. Barea missed his 10th game in a row with a left calf strain. Seth Curry missed his third game in a row with a right knee sprain. . Devin Harris scored seven points in the first quarter - more than he had scored in three games combined since returning from a big toe injury.

LONG ODDS

After 16 seasons in a row of finishing .500 or better and making the playoffs in 15 of those seasons, the Mavericks are just 4-16.

The last team to make the playoffs after such a poor start was the 2004-05 Bulls, who started 5-15 and finished 47-35 before losing in the first round of the playoffs to Washington.

UP NEXT

Hornets: Home against Detroit on Wednesday. The Pistons beat the Hornets in Charlotte 112-89 on Nov. 29.

Mavericks: Home against Sacramento on Wednesday, the third of a four-game homestand and the first of two visits the Kings make to Dallas in 11 days.