DALLAS, TEXAS — The Dallas Mavericks had a slow start to tonight’s matchup and the problem wasn’t on the offensive side of the ball as Dallas got productivity from Kyrie Irving, Luka Dončić, and Tim Hardaway Jr. It was the defensive side that held them down in Sunday’s game.
Dončić led Dallas with 25 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists.
The Kings found their rhythm early on and De’Aaron Fox posed a defensive challenge for the Mavs, disrupting their flow. Sacramento showcased smart ball movement, maintaining a 33-28 lead. Domantas Sabonis was fouled by Dwight Powell, converting both free throws and extending the Kings’ lead to 30-26 with 2:42 on the clock.
Following this, JaVale McGee executed an alley-oop layup assisted by Fox, bringing the score to 33-28. However, the Mavericks accelerated their pace at the end of the first quarter, with Kyrie Irving sinking a 3-pointer, giving them a lead of 36-35 going into the second quarter.
The Mavs demonstrated efficiency on the offensive end, with key contributions from players like Tim Hardaway Jr. and Kyrie Irving. Irving had an impressive 7-of-10 field goal success, missed only two of his four 3-point attempts, and made all three of his free throws. Hardaway made a significant impact off the bench, finishing the second quarter with 12 points, converting both of his three-point shots and free throws, and making 4-of-6 field goal attempts.
Although Luka Dončić was productive on the offensive side, scoring 16 points, he also carried the Mavericks defensively, finishing the night with nine defensive rebounds and three steals.
The Mavs struggled to contain the Sacramento offense, with four Kings starters scoring in double figures in the first half. Leading scorer, De’Aaron Fox, contributed 13 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals. The Kings found success by drawing in the Mavs’ defense and making outside shots. Chris Duarte hit two consecutive 3-pointers with 4:32 left in the second quarter, bringing the score to 61-52.
Head Coach Jason Kidd said postgame that their understanding of guarding the three is what is hurting them defensively.
“Guarding the three is hurting us,” said Kidd. “It’s our effort and energy. There is no excuse about the schedule, it’s about being able to do your job on a nightly basis and we just didn’t do that. We did it for two and a half quarters and we didn’t finish the other part of the game.”
Despite a defensive 3-second technical foul, which allowed Irving a free throw, the Mavs managed to stay within 5 points of the Kings going into halftime. Kyrie brought the game to 65-70 as the teams headed into the locker room.
The Kings began presenting different looks to the Mavs in the second half, pulling Dallas towards the top of the key and still opting for outside shots. However, the Mavs found a glimmer of hope with the assistance of Derrick Jones Jr., who tied the game at 89-89 with a 3-pointer at the 4:20 mark in the third quarter.
Jones went on to score with a quick transition bucket, narrowing the Mavs’ deficit to just 3 points at 91-94 with less than three minutes remaining. However, Sacramento sank three consecutive three-point shots in the last minute of the third quarter—Malik Monk with two threes and Keegan Murray with one—bringing the score to 107-96.
Sacramento outscored Dallas by 22 points in the fourth quarter, securing the win with a final score of 129-111. Sasha Vezenkov played a crucial role, sealing the victory with a step-back jump shot that iced the game.
Kidd said that right now their best defense is their offense. The Mavs have the next two days to clean things up as they prepare to hit the road to take on the Los Angeles Lakers. Tip-off is on Wednesday November 22nd at 9:30 p.m. CST.
