Kings Vs Mavericks: 130-121 Recap, Injury Fallout and What Changed from the Preview
The latest Kings Vs Mavericks matchup ended with the Sacramento Kings taking a 130-121 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Feb 26, 2026, a result shaped by standout performances, deep injury lists and narrative shifts between the pregame preview and the postgame recap. The outcome matters because both teams entered the night with heavy absences and conflicting record tallies in the available coverage, leaving questions about roster availability and momentum as the regular season’s final third approaches and the All-Star break nears.
Kings Vs Mavericks: Final score, date and record notes
The game finished 130-121 in favor of the Sacramento Kings on Feb 26, 2026. Preview material listed the Dallas Mavericks at 21-36 and the Sacramento Kings at 13-47 before the game; the postgame recap listed the Mavericks at 21-37 and the Kings at 14-47. The matchup was played at American Airlines Center. The differing records and the sequence of preseason-to-postgame updates are both part of the public record here and underline how fast standings can shift in the span of a single night.
Key performances that decided the night
Precious Achiuwa led the Kings with a career-impacting 29 points and 12 rebounds. Maxime Raynaud finished with 22 points while Dequon Plowden added a season-high 19. On the Mavericks’ side, Naji Marshall carried much of the offensive load and finished the night as the primary Dallas scorer, though he lacked consistent support. Frequent opponent DeMar DeRozan managed just seven points in what was described as an unusual outing.
How the game unfolded: quarter-by-quarter moments
Dallas fell behind 28-15 in the game’s first seven minutes. The Mavericks rallied with an 11-2 run to stay connected early, highlighted by Naji Marshall’s driving hoop with 4: 51 left in the first and a cross-court pass that found Klay Thompson for an open corner 3 two possessions later, trimming the score to 30-24. Marshall’s pair of free throws with 3: 08 left in the opener put him at 13 points in the first nine minutes.
The Kings shot 57% from the field in the first quarter as Dallas committed six turnovers in that frame; Sacramento scored 42 points in the period and led 42-28 after one. Precious Achiuwa scored 14 in the first on 6-of-8 shooting, including 2-of-2 from long range. Maxime Raynaud had eight in the quarter on 4-of-7 shooting while filling in following the loss of Domantas Sabonis for the season to a knee injury. The Mavericks trailed 68-56 at halftime.
Early in the third, Max Christie ignited a push that brought Dallas to within 72-60 and later to 72-69 with 8: 47 left in the quarter. The Kings answered with a 14-2 run that extended the lead to 86-71 midway through the third, during which Devin Carter scored on three put-back buckets. Sacramento held a 100-88 lead entering the fourth. After that point, the Kings closed out the 130-121 victory.
The postgame recap material ends mid-sentence in the provided context, and that final line is unclear in the provided context.
Injury update and availability notes
Dallas faced a significant availability list: Cooper Flagg, Daniel Gafford, PJ Washington, and Ryan Nembhard were all listed out with various maladies. Khris Middleton was set to suit up after hurting his shoulder the other night. Moussa Cisse and Miles Kelly were listed as available and expected to see some action.
Sacramento’s roster was similarly depleted: Domanta Sabonis and Zach LaVine were out, Russell Westbrook was ruled out for the game, DeAndre Hunter and Dyland Cardwell were missing with various injuries, and Keegan Murray had been out with a bad ankle sprain. The preseason narrative noted that the Kings had taken to shutting players down for the year in some cases, and that characterization persisted into the game coverage.
Preview context, momentum and immediate implications
Before tip, Dallas had returned home for the first time in a month and was described as staring at an odd, unwanted winstreak after victories over the Pacers and the Brookly Nets. Sacramento had just beaten the Grizzlies this week — their first win since beating the Washington Wizards in mid-January — yet was described bluntly in the preview as "bad bad bad bad. " The preview voice also predicted a tough night for hardcore fans, suggesting Dallas should win given their healthier rotation of NBA players and contrasting commentary that the Kings had DeMar DeRozan on their roster that night.
The loss and the accumulated injuries leave both teams with questions about rotation depth, immediate recovery timelines and how each club will approach the remaining stretch before the All-Star break and the final third of the regular season. Further details on some items in the provided material are unclear in the provided context and may evolve as teams update their availability lists.
