Dallas Mavericks Lose To Sacramento Kings 130-121

The Dallas Mavericks welcomed the Sacramento Kings to the American Airlines Center on Thursday, but the Kings beat the Mavericks 130-121. Sacramento improved to 14-47, while Dallas fell to 21-37.

Dallas hosted Lunar New Year Night to celebrate the Year of the Fire Horse and honor all the Asian American communities. Dallas sold a game ticket with a limited-edition Mavs x Crystal Lin hat and a $25 Choctaw Free Play Card on Mavs.com/Lunar.

In Case You Missed It

The Dallas Mavericks beat the Brooklyn Nets 123-114 at Barclays Center on Tuesday. Marvin Bagley III led the Mavericks with 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 assist. Michael Porter Jr. led the Nets with 26 points and 3 assists.

Brandon Williams recorded 19 points and a team-high 10 assists for his first double-double as a Dallas Maverick and his third career double-double. Williams, 25, is averaging 16 points and 7 assists in his last four games.

Jason Kidd recorded his 200th career win as the head coach of the Mavericks. Kidd, 52, became the fourth head coach in the Mavericks’ history to reach 200 wins with the Mavs, joining Rick Carlisle, Don Nelson, and Dick Motta.

The Sacramento Kings lost in a 128-97 blowout to the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center on Wednesday. Russell Westbrook led the Kings with 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. Reed Sheppard led the Rockets with 28 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists.

Dallas Mavericks vs. Sacramento Kings Starters

Dallas’ starting lineup featured Max Christie, Naji Marshall, Khris Middleton, Caleb Martin, and Bagley III.

Dallas ruled out Dereck Lively II (right foot surgery), Kyrie Irving (left knee surgery), Cooper Flagg (left midfoot sprain), PJ Washington Jr. (left ankle sprain), and Daniel Gafford (right ankle injury management).

Sacramento’s starting lineup featured Devin Carter, Nique Clifford, DeMar DeRozan, Precious Achiuwa, and Maxime Raynaud.

Sacramento ruled out Zach LaVine (right hand surgery), Domantas Sabonis (left knee surgery), Dylan Cardwell (left ankle sprain), De’Andre Hunter (left eye surgery), Russell Westbrook (bruised right thigh), and Keegan Murray (left ankle sprain).

Mavericks vs. Kings Recap

Sacramento’s rookies came in hot. Maxime Raynaud leads the 2025 NBA Draft class with 11 double-doubles. Clifford has recorded 11.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.0 steals per game in his last three games.

The first quarter was a high-scoring affair, but Sacramento’s shooting overwhelmed Dallas. Marshall made a sequence of buckets. Klay Thompson hit a corner three-pointer. Clifford danced around the rim before the shot dropped into the net. Clifford found Raynaud to make a shot. Sacramento took a 42-28 lead to end the first.

The second quarter was close in terms of scoring, but Dallas picked up the pace to cut Sacramento’s advantage to the single digits. Marshall finished the first half with 23 points. Killian Hayes found Malik Monk under the basket to reach eight fastbreak points. Sacramento took a 68-56 lead into halftime.

Marshall recorded a game-high 23 points, along with 6 rebounds and 3 assists, in the first half. Marshall’s performance marked the second-highest scoring half in his NBA career and his fourth career 20-point half.

Achiuwa had a solid first half. Achiuwa finished with 21 points, along with 8 rebounds and a perfect 100% in three-point field goal shooting.

The third quarter saw a slow start, but the two teams shrugged off the slowness. Dallas’ 11-0 run kept the game close, but Sacramento later responded with a 14-3 run. Middleton found Bagley III to complete the pass-and-finish. Achiuwa delivered with a two-handed dunk. Sacramento took a 100-88 lead through three quarters.

The fourth quarter saw strong runs from the two teams. Caleb Martin soared to score at the rim. Marshall played excellent offense and defense. Raynaud got past Dwight Powell, both of whom are Stanford alumni, for the one-handed slam. Daeqwon Plowden threw down the hammer. Sacramento won 130-121 in regulation.

Next Steps

The Dallas Mavericks continue the three-game homestand against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Central. Dallas’ key to success will be its ability to capitalize on the Grizzlies’ defensive weaknesses to draw on the latter’s size advantage.

The Sacramento Kings conclude a five-game road trip against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. Pacific. Sacramento’s key to success will be its coordinated play, along with an emphasis on its offensive and defensive strategies, to stifle the Lakers.