Kings Vs Mavericks: Dallas’ late push falls short in 130-121 loss
The Dallas Mavericks hosted the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night and saw their two-game win streak end with a 130-121 loss, a game that turned on the Mavericks’ 21-for-34 free-throw shooting and 17 turnovers.
Kings Vs Mavericks: Late rally couldn’t erase early damage
The Mavericks were obliterated in the first quarter and fought back into a clutch situation late, but couldn’t finish the comeback. Dallas missed enough free throws—making 21 of 34—and turned the ball over 17 times, key concrete factors in the 130-121 final score.
Big swings in the box score
Grading out individual lines, Josh Christie struggled to find the range, finishing 3-for-9 overall and 2-for-5 from deep, with two turnovers and zero assists and no signature defensive stop or go-ahead shot. Luka Martin posted 4-for-7 from the floor, didn’t turn the ball over and recorded an impressive number of steals, but finished with a minus-25 plus/minus. Middleton delivered a veteran sequence late: he was 5-for-9 overall (2-for-4 from down town), hit the free throws he earned 5-for-5, and drained a couple of important shots in the fourth quarter, though he committed three turnovers.
Bench spark and grades
Marvin Bagley drew the start with Gafford unavailable; Bagley went 5-for-6 from the floor, did a lot of the little things—boxing out, grabbing offensive rebounds and sneaking into the paint for drop-off dunks—and came just shy of a double-double after taking a knee to the head and returning following a quick trip to the locker room. His night was marred by too many turnovers and four fouls. Dereck Williams hit 6-for-10 from the floor, including a big three in the fourth quarter and multiple drives that penetrated the defense, but he had three turnovers, three fouls and was 3-for-7 from the free-throw line. Thompson largely mirrored Christie in both output and presence and otherwise flew under the radar.
Young guard Johnson shines in fourth
Johnson earned an A+ for his performance, the best game of his short tenure as a Maver so far. He scored 11 points, dropping in eight of those 11 in the fourth quarter, shot 4-for-4 and drew two and-ones that helped fuel Dallas’ late run. His fourth-quarter scoring made him a legitimate part of the comeback effort.
Turnovers, free throws and lingering roster notes
The game’s immediate consequences were clear: the Mavericks’ comeback collapsed under 17 turnovers and shaky foul shooting, which the context notes will at least help the team’s draft positioning. Gafford’s unavailability opened the door for Bagley’s start. Still down Cooper Flagg, Dallas tries to put togethe (unclear in the provided context).
The article’s author invited readers to follow @_80MPH and to check back often for updates on the Dallas Mavericks.
What’s next is unclear in the provided context.
