Dallas Mavericks: Mavs Take Down the Hornets

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Oct 3, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard J.J. Barea (5) drives to the basket past Charlotte Hornets guard Ramon Sessions (7) during the first quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

The Dallas Mavericks took down the Charlotte Hornets tonight at the American Airlines Center, with a final score of 95-88. Here are a few keys to the victory.

The Dallas Mavericks played their first preseason game at home tonight against the Charlotte Hornets. After falling to the New Orleans Pelicans a few nights ago, the Mavs looked for vengeance against Nicolas Batum and the Hornets.

The Mavericks came out ready to play tonight in front of the home crowd and pulled out an excellent 95-88 win. The Mavs started slow in the 1^st quarter, falling behind 26-23 and watching the hopeful star of the team, Harrison Barnes, have a rough time getting going.

By halftime, however, the Mavericks had taken over and jumped out to a 10-point advantage. J.J. Barea led the charge for the most part as he finished the half with 11 of the Mavs 48 points. Dallas went on to keep the Hornets at arms length and ended the game with a 7-point win.

The leading scorer for the Dallas Mavericks was Seth Curry with 20 points after going on a tear in the second half. Wesley Matthews also added 9 points in just first half minutes. Here are three things from the game that we can take away.

Next: Nicolas Brussino is Earning His Spot