The Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks meet Monday at American Airlines Center with the two clubs trending in opposite directions. This Kings vs Mavericks preview breaks down the records, injuries and matchups that will shape the game as Sacramento tries to end a six-game skid and Dallas looks to stretch its winning streak to four.
Sacramento enters at 0-6, sitting 15th in the Western Conference. Dallas is 4-2 and ranks seventh in the West, riding a three-game win streak that includes victories over Oklahoma City and Houston. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET, and it marks the first meeting between the two teams this season.
Kings Vs Mavericks Game Information
- Date: Monday, Nov. 2
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Venue: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
- TV/Streaming: NBA League Pass, KFAA-TV, MavsTV
- Series: First meeting of the season
Can Sacramento Snap Its Losing Streak?
The Kings have lost six straight to open the season, most recently falling 136-105 at Memphis on Sunday. Sacramento is averaging 109.3 points per game while allowing opponents to shoot at a high clip, and the team sits at the bottom of the Pacific Division standings with a .000 winning percentage. Domantas Sabonis leads the roster with 15.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game, and he scored 20 points with 14 rebounds and eight assists in a loss to San Antonio on Oct. 27, according to Newsday.
Guard Darius Acuff Jr. leads the team in scoring at 26.3 points per game and had a 34-point, 14-assist outing in a recent game, per NBC Sports. Sacramento’s offense has leaned heavily on those two, and the Kings will need more consistent scoring support to avoid a seventh straight defeat.
What Is Dallas’s Injury Situation Heading Into Monday?
The Mavericks are dealing with a thin frontcourt. Dereck Lively II (foot surgery) and Tarik Biberovic (heel inflammation) are both out, with return dates projected for Nov. 12. Santi Aldama (knee surgery) and Sergio de Larrea (knee strain) are also out, with possible returns around Nov. 4.
Kyrie Irving is listed as day-to-day with a left knee issue. Despite those absences, Dallas has won three straight games, suggesting the roster has found ways to compensate. Cooper Flagg leads the team in both scoring (26.8 points per game) and assists (6.6), while P.J.
Washington paces the frontcourt with 8.2 rebounds per game.
Is Dylan Cardwell Available For Sacramento?
Kings center Dylan Cardwell is questionable for Monday’s game after suffering a calf strain in the preseason, according to NBC Sports. Cardwell has not appeared in a game this season. If he is cleared to play, Jonathan Mogbo could fall out of Sacramento’s rotation entirely, per the same report.
Sacramento is also without Keegan Murray (ankle), Maxime Raynaud (knee) and Ben Simmons, who is out for the season after achilles surgery. Guard Zach LaVine is day-to-day with elbow soreness. The Kings’ depleted frontcourt has put additional scoring pressure on Sabonis and Acuff through the first six games.
Key Matchup: Sabonis Against A Shorthanded Dallas Frontcourt
With Lively and Aldama both sidelined, Dallas is leaning on P.J. Washington to anchor the frontcourt against Sabonis, who is averaging a near double-double with 16.0 points and 15.8 rebounds per game. Dallas holds a sizable edge in blocks per game at 6.8 compared to Sacramento’s 2.5, a gap that could widen further with multiple Mavericks big men unavailable. How Washington and Dallas’s depth handle Sabonis on the interior could determine whether Sacramento can generate enough second-chance opportunities to offset its 45.2% team shooting mark, well below Dallas’s 49.4%.
What To Watch
Sacramento is trying to avoid an 0-7 start while Dallas aims to build on its three-game win streak and keep pace in the Southwest Division, where the Mavericks sit two games behind both Memphis and Houston. The health of Kyrie Irving and Dylan Cardwell will be worth monitoring before tip-off, since both carry day-to-day or questionable tags. For context on Dallas’s season to date, see the Total Apex look at the Mavericks’ early-season instability and the related piece on the team’s ongoing issues. Sacramento’s search for its first win continues after a string of losses detailed in the Total Apex recap of the Kings’ defeat to Memphis.
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