Three Takeaways From Kings Impressive Win Over Mavericks

But it was Keon Ellis and Russell Westbrook who led the team with 21 points apiece, and the Kings held first overall pick Cooper Flagg to a modest 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Here are three takeaways from the Kings eighth win of the season.

Keon Ellis

When Keon Ellis is on the court, good things generally happen. He got the start with Keegan Murray missing the game with an injury and as Zach LaVine continued to sit as he recovers from his ankle injury.

And Ellis took advantage of the opportunity, as he so often does. He not only had the 21 points, but also chipped in three steals and two blocks to help lead the Kings on defense. They were active all night long, and Ellis was a huge part of the team, wreaking havoc en route to 16 steals.

Arguably, the most important was his volume of shooting from beyond the arc. Ellis knocked down five of his ten threes, as Sacramento made 17 threes as a team, one off their season-high. It's been an up-and-down season for the fourth-year guard, but today was a reminder of how impactful he can be when he's on his A-game.

Moving the Ball

Doug Christie often talks about how the ball has energy, and that was indeed the case today as the Kings matched their season-high with 32 assists.

Westbrook led the way with nine dimes, DeMar DeRozan had six, and Dennis Schroder had five off the bench to lead the way, but much like the scoring, it was a team effort. It's the type of style that Christie wants going forward, and a great sign that the team may finally be starting to click just over a third of the way through the season.

The Fun Continues

This is the fifth straight game that the Kings have been at least competitive in, and their second win in the five attempts. Record wise, they are still just 8-23, but they are at least having fun on the court again after the extremely disappointing start to the season that left what felt like both players and fans questioning what was going on.

Sacramento doesn't need to worry about wins, but the improved atmosphere that the competitive games create should go a long way in helping morale throughout the long season. It's too early for things to fall apart completely, so it's great to have some joy back on the court as the season stretches on.

It will be interesting to see what happens as the veteran stars make their return from injuries, but for now, at least, things are shining a little brighter in Sacramento as The Beam gets lit once again.

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