The Dallas Mavericks never found enough offense Monday night without Kyrie Irving, and Sacramento made them pay.
In a 115-100 loss at home to the previously winless Kings, Dallas spent most of the night chasing the game while struggling to get clean looks. The Mavericks held Irving out with Wednesday’s matchup against the Spurs looming, and the absence showed up immediately in the shot-making.
Daniel Gafford and Walter Clayton Jr. paced Dallas with 20 points apiece, while Cooper Flagg finished with 17 points on 15 percent shooting. On the other side, fifth overall pick Darius Acuff led Sacramento with 25 points, five rebounds and six assists as the Kings grabbed their first win of the season.
The opening quarter was messy on both ends, with neither team reaching 20 points. Dallas shot 5/20 from the field and 1/11 from deep, while Sacramento was only a little sharper at 7/19 but still managed to hit three 3-pointers.
Flagg was asked to shoulder more of the scoring load without Irving, but he opened 0/4 from the floor and got all four of his first-quarter points at the line. Gafford gave Dallas some life with four points and four rebounds, while Domantas Sabonis answered with six points on 3/3 shooting to help the Kings take a 19-18 edge into the second.
The pace picked up in the second quarter, and so did the scoring. Dallas put together an 8-0 run to start the frame, with Gafford again setting the tone.
He finished the quarter with 11 points and two rebounds, capped by an alley-oop dunk. Sacramento countered with Malik Monk, who scored eight points on 3/3 shooting, including two 3s.
One of those triples put the Kings back in front late in the quarter, and they carried a 54-53 lead into halftime after shooting just under 60 percent in the period.
The third quarter was where Dallas lost its grip. The Mavericks managed just 21 points and made only six shots, even as Sacramento was hardly crisp itself.
Dallas did get to the line often, going 8/9 there thanks to eight Kings fouls, but that was about the only thing keeping them afloat. Then came another blow: Max Christie was ruled out for the rest of the game with a hip injury.
Flagg continued to have a rough night, scoring six in the quarter with four of those points from free throws. Acuff, meanwhile, kept Sacramento moving with 10 points, three assists and three rebounds in the period.
The Kings closed the quarter with six straight points and took an 81-74 lead into the fourth.
Sacramento finished the job from there. The Kings opened the final quarter with back-to-back 3s and stretched the margin to 12, matching their largest lead of the season at that point during a 15-5 run.
Dallas couldn’t stop the bleeding, and two turnovers to start the quarter only made things easier for Sacramento. The lead grew to 15 on another Monk 3, before Clayton finally broke the drought with his second triple of the night and Dallas’ first made 3 since the 8:27 mark of the third quarter.
That sparked a brief 7-0 Mavericks run, highlighted by a Morez Johnson dunk and another Clayton 3. But Monk and Acuff shut the door quickly, combining for 10 straight points to push Sacramento back out to a 15-point cushion.
Acuff capped it with a pull-up 3, finishing with 19 points in the second half alone. The Kings buried seven 3-pointers in the fourth and walked away with their first victory of the season.
Dallas now heads to San Antonio to face the Spurs again on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 8:30 p.m. CT.
In Other News...
Kyrie Irving Trade Noise Is Colliding With Dallas Bigger Decision
With the Mavericks off to a strong start, the chatter around Kyrie Irving has only grown louder, but the teams stance has stayed firm. NBA insider Marc Stein reported that Dallas has no intention of moving Irving this season and is not entertaining trade inquiries, even as outside speculation continues to swirl around his future.
Irving is in the final guaranteed year of his contract, which naturally invites questions about what comes next, especially with other teams keeping an eye on the situation. But the Mavericks have been clear that he is not available, and Irving has also expressed a desire to stay in Dallas, leaving the bigger decision to play out without any sign the front office is ready to budge. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Just Got Another Backcourt Concern They Could Not Afford
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Christie missed all of his shots in the brief outing, finishing with two rebounds, one steal and one turnover before Walter Clayton Jr. stepped in for him. For a team already trying to piece together guard minutes around other injured players, any added concern in the backcourt is one Dallas could hardly afford. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Suddenly Need Santi Aldama More Than Ever
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Now the focus shifts to Juancho Hernangmez Aldama, whose return could give the Mavericks a needed boost in shooting, spacing and overall offensive versatility. He is still working his way back into form after knee surgery, and his status remains up in the air as Dallas waits to see whether he can help steady an attack that suddenly looks in need of another reliable floor-spacer. [Read more 🡒]