Mavs-Kings rematch
The second of two meetings in Sacramento, one full of opportunities, will feature "a different" Kings team, the Mavericks say. The Mavericks are set to face Sacramento in a rematch of their previous meeting, where they beat the Kings 132-96. Despite not securing a top-six seeding in the Western Conference, a win over the Kings would give the Mavericks a better chance of avoiding the play-in tournament among teams that finish seventh through 10th in their Western Conference. The Mavericks have won nine of 10 games, five consecutive games, and a win would put them in line for the No. 5 or perhaps even No. 4 seed in the West. However, a loss to the Kings could not guarantee them a place in the tournament. Coach Jason Kidd acknowledged that a loss isn't the end of the world, but acknowledged the importance of the upcoming game against the Kings. The season series is 2-2, meaning that if the two teams finish with identical records, the tiebreaker would be conference record.
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SACRAMENTO – If the Mavericks can put together another win over Sacramento Friday night, it wouldn’t exactly give them a death grip on at least a top-six seeding in the Western Conference.
But they’d be well on their way to squeezing the life out of a few contenders for those spots, especially the Kings.
The Mavericks took Tuesday’s meeting with the Kings 132-96. They have won nine of 10 games, five in a row and, while a win Friday wouldn’t guarantee the Mavericks will avoid the play-in tournament among teams that finish seventh through 10th in the Western Conference, it would give them a favorable position going into the final nine games.
Then again, a loss isn’t the end of the world.
“Another good test on the road,” coach Jason Kidd said Thursday after practice at the Golden 1 Center. “We passed the first two (on this trip). This is test No. 3. It’s one game. It does have some meaning, but you still have to finish out the season to have any of those other things mean anything. We still got a couple games on this road trip, but this is a good test for us.”
With a win, the Mavericks would be 44-29. Sacramento would be 42-31. A win also would tie the season series at 2-2, meaning the tiebreaker should the Kings and Mavericks finish with identical records would be conference record. Currently, the Mavericks are 27-19 and the Kings 27-18 against West opponents.
So too close to call at the moment, as the electioneers would say.
A win would put the Mavericks two games up on Sacramento. If they could go 6-3 the rest of the way (and reach 50 wins, by the way), the Kings would have to amass an 8-1 record to pull back into a tie with the Mavericks.
And since the Mavericks have the tiebreaker against 43-30 Phoenix, the Suns also would have to go 8-1 to run down the Mavericks.
Furthermore, a win on Friday also would put the Mavericks in serious striking distance for the No. 5 or perhaps even No. 4 seed in the West.
The Mavericks trail New Orleans by one game going into the Pelicans’ home game against Milwaukee on Thursday.
They are two games behind the Los Angeles Clippers for fourth.
It’s all very tantalizing. But the bottom line is that a win against the Kings would put the Mavericks in charge of a lot of things regarding their own destiny.
Now, all of those contingencies could mean very little if the Mavericks don’t handle their business. The Kings have been sitting for two days on that blowout loss the Mavericks inflicted on them Tuesday.
“It’s going to be a real different Sac team, guard Tim Hardaway Jr. said after Thursday’s practice at Golden 1 Center. “We had this same type of test early in the season with New Orleans and New Orleans switched the court on us. They put the voodoo court on us.
“They (the Kings) are going to be way more aggressive and way more physical and we got to match that.”
The Mavericks were a different team in November. But Hardaway hit on a good point. The Mavericks beat the Pelicans soundly on No. 12 in New Orleans. Two nights later, the Pelicans exacted revenge with a 21-point win.
“We can use our past experiences with Utah, and if you go further back in the season, New Orleans – we get the first one and it didn’t quite go well the second time,” coach Jason Kidd said.
“They (the Kings) have had a couple days like us to make some adjustments. We look for the pace to be faster. And we understand the game is going to be physical on both ends. Another big game, another good test for us.”
Here’s what else to look for as the Mavericks try to improve to 3-0 on this five-game trip:
• Are the Mavericks peaking at the right time? It sure looks that way with a nice combination of defensive grit and offensive punch. They are 11-6 since the All-Star break and 11-0 with Daniel Gafford and Luka Dončić in the starting lineup. “You got to peak at the right time and I think we’re peaking at the right time,” Hardaway said. “We’re understanding how valuable each possession is. We know what’s at stake. We got to be prepared for anything.”
• Speaking of Dončić he had a 26-point first half on Tuesday against the Kings, then didn’t have to do a lot of scoring in the second half when Kyrie Irving and Hardaway made sure the Mavericks’ lead kept growing.
• The Mavericks had their most efficient three-point shooting night of the season on Tuesday (56.4 percent, 22-of-39). The Mavericks now are 7-0 when they hit 20 or more three-pointers this season. But Kidd emphasized that the Mavericks aren’t necessarily reliant anymore on making outside shots. “We used to be built that way,” he said. “Now it’s being able to dominate the paint, dominate the rim, turn this into Lob City a little bit. We’re throwing a lot more lobs and trying to score at the rim. And then working inside out. It makes things easier for (everybody).” That’s created more opportunities for P.J. Washington and Derrick Jones Jr. in the pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop situations.
• The Mavericks again will be without Josh Green (right ankle sprain), but Kidd said on Thursday that Green is making progress and “feeling better.”
• The Kings will again be without Kevin Huerter, who is out with a dislocated left shoulder. Keon Ellis has been starting in his place.
• De’Aaron Fox leads the Kings at 26.5 points per game, but he mustered just 18 on Tuesday. Domantas Sabonis averages 19.7 points and 13.7 rebounds but had only 12 and 11 on Tuesday, along with nine assists.