Sacramento Kings finally win (harder questions start now)

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Sacramento Kings finally win (harder questions start now)

Originally posted on Lindy's Sports | By Eman Zahra | Last updated Nov 3, 2026 6:33 PM ET

The Sacramento Kings won for the first time this season Monday night, beating the Dallas Mavericks 115-100 on the road to improve to 1-6.

They became the last NBA team to get a win. Rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr. scored a game-high 25 points, Malik Monk added 24 off the bench and Zach LaVine finished with 23. Dallas played without Kyrie Irving, who sat out for left knee injury management.

Coach Doug Christie praised his rookie point guard after the win, according to Heavy. Heavy’s coverage also called Acuff the club’s franchise player and said the 1-6 start can’t be pinned on him.

That’s a big label for a first-year player, but 25 points in a road win gives it some support.

Sacramento finally broke its winless streak against Dallas, but a single victory leaves bigger questions about the team’s true identity unanswered.Luke Hales / Getty Images

The defense showed up for once

Sports Illustrated’s Kings site called it the best Sacramento defense of the season, crediting bench energy and a more intense team effort. Dallas didn’t help itself either. Cooper Flagg scored 17 points but made only three of 19 shots.

The same SI piece notes the Kings’ bench has been rough lately. Nique Clifford is barely in the rotation, and Daeqwon Plowden has seen his minutes shrink after a solid start. A coach searching for the right combinations doesn’t fix that with one good night.

Sacramento hosts the Lakers on Wednesday, and Los Angeles (6-2) is a far tougher opponent than a Dallas team missing its starting guard. The result also complicates the front office’s next move.

Heavy argues the Kings may sell veterans before the trade deadline to build around Acuff. Monk and LaVine playing well makes them more attractive to buyers. It also gives Sacramento a reason to wait and see whether Monday was a turning point or a one-off.

What to watch is simple. Does Acuff keep his role, does the defense travel, and does Christie find reserves he trusts? At 1-6, the Kings can’t treat one win as a turning point until they repeat it.

This article first appeared on Lindy's Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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