LaMelo Ball

Charlotte Hornets (20-28, 11th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Dallas Mavericks (19-28, 11th in the Western Conference)Dallas; Thursday, 8:30 p.m. ESTBETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Hornets -4.5; over/under is 228.5BOTTOM LINE: Charlotte is looking to keep its four-game win streak intact when the Hornets take on Dallas.The Mavericks are 14-13 on their home court. Dallas has a 5-5 record in one-possession games.The Hornets have gone 11-15 away from home. Charlotte scores 116.2 points and has outscored opponents by 1.6 points per game.The Mavericks are shooting 47.2% from the field this season, 0.3 percentage points lower than the 47.5% the Hornets allow to opponents. The Hornets are shooting 46.4% from the field, 0.2% higher than the 46.2% the Mavericks' opponents have shot this season.TOP PERFORMERS: P.J. Washington is shooting 45.3% and averaging 14.3 points for the Mavericks. Naji Marshall is averaging 20.3 points over the last 10 games.LaMelo Ball is shooting 40.6% and averaging 19.0 points for the Hornets. Brandon Miller is averaging 3.2 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.LAST 10 GAMES: Mavericks: 5-5, averaging 117.7 points, 45.9 rebounds, 26.6 assists, 7.8 steals and 4.3 blocks per game while shooting 48.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 115.2 points per game.Hornets: 7-3, averaging 119.2 points, 49.6 rebounds, 28.5 assists, 6.5 steals and 3.6 blocks per game while shooting 49.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 104.8 points.INJURIES: Mavericks: Dereck Lively II: out for season (foot), Kyrie Irving: out (knee), Dante Exum: out for season (knee), Anthony Davis: out (hand), Klay Thompson: out (knee), Cooper Flagg: out (injury management).Hornets: Mason Plumlee: out (groin).___The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Brandon Miller scored 26 points, Moussa Diabate had 18 points and 20 rebounds and the Charlotte Hornets topped their victory total from all of last season, beating the Memphis Grizzlies 112-97 on Wednesday night. Charlotte had won four straight to improve to 20-28 after finishing 19-62 last season. Miles Bridges added 20 points, and LaMelo Ball had 16.

Brandon Miller scored 26 points, Moussa Diabate had 18 points and 20 rebounds and the Charlotte Hornets topped their victory total from all of last season, beating the Memphis Grizzlies 112-97 on Wednesday night. Charlotte had won four straight to improve to 20-28 after finishing 19-62 last season. Miles Bridges added 20 points, and LaMelo Ball had 16.

Andrew Caley's favorite NBA player props for Wednesday, January 28, include Jalen Smith, Immanuel Quickley, and LaMelo Ball.

Recently, the Hornets have taken measures to manage Ball's workload, so the training staff must have loved Monday's outcome. Charlotte won by a large margin, beating the 76ers 130-93, which led to Ball playing only 20 minutes. Fantasy managers who have him rostered would have hoped for a more competitive game given the impact on Ball's playing time, but keeping him healthy throughout the season is Charlotte's priority.