Sacramento Kings Defeat Dallas Mavericks 113-107
The Sacramento Kings hosted the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday. The Kings defeated the Mavericks 113-107 at the Golden 1 Center. Sacramento improved to 8-23 and avoided a two-game losing skid, while Dallas fell to 12-21 and lost two games in a row. The Kings hosted Kids & Family Day featuring Sesame Street. The first 7,000 fans received Elmo bucket hats. Families enjoyed a Cookie Monster scavenger hunt for family-friendly fun.
In case you missed it, Cooper Flagg recorded 27 points, six rebounds, and five assists in the Mavs’ 126-116 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday. Flagg, 19, became the first rookie since Pete Maravich in 1970 to record 25-5-5 on Christmas Day and joined Maravich and Oscar Robertson overall as the only rookies to do so on Christmas.
Brandon Williams recorded a season-high 26 points on Thursday. Williams, 19, became the fourth player since 2000 to record 25+ points on 75% field goal percentage on Christmas Day. Williams joined Jaylen Brown, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Andrew Bynum.
Sacramento Kings vs. Dallas Mavericks Starters
Sacramento’s starting lineup consisted of Russell Westbrook, Keon Ellis, DeMar DeRozan, Precious Achiuwa, and Maxime Raynaud. Sacramento ruled out Drew Eubanks (thumb), Domantas Sabonis (knee), Zach LaVine (ankle), Keegan Murray (calf), and Devin Carter (ankle).
Dallas’ starting lineup featured Ryan Nembhard, Max Christie, Cooper Flagg, PJ Washington Jr., and Daniel Gafford. Dallas ruled out Dante Exum (knee), Kyrie Irving (knee), Dereck Lively II (foot), Anthony Davis (groin), Brandon Williams (calf), and Miles Kelly (two-way).
Kings vs. Mavericks Recap
Saturday’s game was a Western Conference showdown between two teams in the bottom half of the NBA standings. Dallas is rising, while Sacramento is stagnant. The Kings took control in the first quarter.
Russell Westbrook’s second assist helped him to 10,142 assists, passing Magic Johnson (10,141) for seventh on the NBA’s all-time assist leaders list. The Mavs’ bench showed success. Max Christie broke up a pass before Daniel Gafford soared for a one-handed jam. Sacramento took a 31-23 lead to end the first.
Both teams shrugged off a sluggish start in the third quarter. Keon Ellis came in hot with 13 first-quarter points. Naji Marshall made a bounce pass to PJ Washington, who found Klay Thompson, who hit a three-pointer. Thompson’s shooting has been awful, but he likely felt good scoring against a familiar foe. Sacramento took a 59-44 lead into halftime.
Both teams jumped out to a fast start in the third quarter. The Kings went zone. The Mavs went on a 14-3 run to stage a comeback, but the Kings denied the Mavs’ rally, primarily by Cooper Flagg’s 15 points in the first six minutes. Westbrook passed defenders for a one-handed slam. Sacramento took an 88-77 lead through three quarters.
Both teams brushed aside a slow start in the fourth quarter. Naji Marshall shone on defense. Dwight Powell had nine rebounds, matching his season high. Russell Westbrook came in hot after reaching 2,000 steals in the third quarter. The Mavs challenged DeMar DeRozan’s flop but were unsuccessful, resulting in a timeout loss. Sacramento won 113-107 in regulation.
Final Thoughts
Sacramento begins the Southern California road trip against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. Pacific. Sacramento’s odds appear low, as the real Los Angeles team is a top-tier team.
Dallas concludes the West Coast road trip and 2025 against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday at 7:30 p.m. Pacific. Dallas’ odds appear to be high as Portland is a bottom-feeder team.
