The Dallas Mavericks hosted the Sacramento Kings on Monday night. Max Christie turned 22 on Monday, just days after Mavericks Head Coach Jason Kidd praised Christie’s versatility in different roles. The Mavericks lost overtime to the Kings 129-128 at the American Airlines Center. Dallas fell to 28-26, while Sacramento improved to 27-26.
Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks with 30 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. Spencer Dinwiddie followed up with 20 points, two rebounds, and five assists. Klay Thompson added 19 points, two rebounds, and one assist. Olivier-Maxence Prosper had 16 points, four rebounds, and one assist. Max Christie scored 15 points, four rebounds, and three assists. Naji Marshall tallied nine points, six rebounds, and five assists.
Dallas Mavericks vs. Sacramento Kings Recap
The Dallas Mavericks vs. Sacramento Kings was action-packed from start to finish. The Mavericks ruled out Anthony Davis with a left adductor strain, Caleb Martin with a right hip strain, Dereck Lively II with a right ankle stress fracture, Dwight Powell with a right hip strain, and PJ Washington Jr. with a right ankle sprain. The Kings’ injury report was clean.
The Mavericks’ starting lineup featured Dante Exum, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Kessler Edwards, and Daniel Gafford. Irving replaced Anthony in the 2025 NBA All-Star Game. Irving will make his ninth NBA All-Star appearance since 2013. Max Christie wasn’t in the starting lineup but became a steal in the Mavericks’ trade, thanks to his hard work on the defensive end of the floor.
The Kings jumped out to a fast start to open the first-quarter scoring, thanks to Zach LaVine’s early bucket. The Kings’ offense held steady for a bit. Thompson made it rain with a three-point party, and the Mavericks’ offense picked up the pace. The Mavericks led 35-27 at the end of the first. The Mavericks’ dominance continued in the second quarter. The Mavericks converted defense to offense, too. They were tied at 61 heading into halftime.
The third quarter shifted in favor of the Kings. The Kings’ 11-4 run resulted in a 72-70 lead past the midway mark, but the Mavericks gave the Kings a hard time. Christie had a solid game. The Mavericks settled for a 93-87 lead through three quarters. The fourth quarter started slow, but both teams sped up. Christie blocked a shot out of bounds, while Keegan Murray ripped and ran a shot. Tied at 116, the game headed to OT.
Both teams entered the first overtime, a high-scoring affair with several ties and lead changes. Christie’s offensive dominance and strong defense continued, while Malik Monk’s ability to attack the rim never ceased, no matter what city he played in. DeMar DeRozan recorded a 40-point performance. The Kings held on for a 129-128 win in overtime.
Mavericks-Kings Highlights
The Dallas Mavericks vs. Sacramento Kings game called attention to multiple highlights, such as the tension about the Mavericks not ending anytime soon. The Mavericks and Texas Legends’ home games have reportedly been beefed up with additional security after the controversial Luka Doncic trade. Mavericks fans protested outside the American Airlines Center ahead of the Mavericks vs. Houston Rockets on Saturday as well.
For the Mavericks, Davis left his Mavericks debut with a lower-body injury on Saturday. The Mavericks announced Davis was doubtful with less than five minutes left in the fourth quarter. Davis had 26 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists, and three blocks in 31 minutes before leaving Saturday’s game. He suffered the injury when attempting to contest Alperen Sengun’s driving dunk as a help defender.
For the Kings, DeMarcus Cousins, an 11-year NBA veteran, revealed the Kings’ biggest need after the NBA trade deadline. Cousins spent six and a half seasons in Sacramento before being moved three days before the trade deadline. He recently appeared on “Run It Back” on FanDuel TV and said that he wouldn’t be upset with the Kings going for a veteran point guard like Chris Paul to complement their current team.
Final Thoughts
Davis was super in his team debut as the Dallas Mavericks knocked off the Houston Rockets 116-105 at the American Airlines Center on Saturday afternoon. Davis wasted little time endearing himself to the Mavericks fans. He had six points, four rebounds, three assists, and one blocked shot in the first five minutes of Saturday afternoon’s game before a sellout crowd of 20,303.
It is rare for a player like Davis to get traded, but he got traded for the second time in his NBA career. The New Orleans Hornets (now Pelicans) drafted Davis with the first overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft. Davis spent the first seven years of his career in New Orleans before requesting a trade. To Davis, this trade was different, as he was shocked and mentally all over the place.
Despite the negativity from the Mavericks fans, Davis remains a realist and understood who Doncic was to the Mavericks’ organization and the City of Dallas. Davis told Mavs.com, “I understand it … Obviously, it’s a business and I get who Luka was to this franchise, to this city.” Davis added, “I think my reaction is like everyone else’s. I was shocked. But you can’t stay in that state of emotion for a long time.”
The Dallas Mavericks will continue their five-game homestand vs. the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. Central. The Warriors will conclude their five-game road trip in downtown Dallas after taking on the Milwaukee Bucks 125-111 on Monday night. The Warriors’ NBA trade deadline ended with the acquisition of Jimmy Butler as part of their short-term plans.
