Sacramento Kings fall to Dallas Mavericks in Las Vegas Summer League
By Tyler Watts
The Sacramento Kings were eliminated from the Las Vegas Summer League Tournament by the Dallas Mavericks on July 13. This article recaps that contest.
Overall, July 13 was a bad night for the Sacramento Kings. Despite reaching the second round of the Las Vegas Summer League Tournament, the Kings crashed out on Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas jumped out to a 23-15 lead at the end of the first quarter and rode that momentum to an 83-76 victory over Sacramento. Below is a highlight video from the game so you can view some of the action for yourself.
Injuries
The Kings were undermanned from the start, and matters only got worse. Rookie second-round selection Frank Mason sat out with an injured ankle. Buddy Hield has been rested the last two games presumably to get a longer look at the rookies and non-roster talents. Malachi Richardson also missed this game with a hamstring injury.
The crushing blow was star rookie De’Aaron Fox leaving after just seven minutes with ankle stiffness. The Sacramento Bee reported the injury is not a big deal, but any pain for your fifth overall pick in Summer League is disappointing. Fox managed to record three assists and a steal before departing.
Positives
On a positive note, rookie 15th overall pick, Justin Jackson, had a phenomenal performance on Thursday. Jackson scored 25 points with four rebounds, four assists, two three-pointers made and two steals. Jackson has played well in Vegas and looks to be a contributor on the wings for Sacramento this regular season.
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Georgios Papagiannis logged 28 minutes tonight and contributed well. Papagiannis had six points, eight rebounds, two assists, and two blocks against the Mavericks. Papagiannis played within himself. He has logged some valuable minutes in Vegas this week and continued to grow his game.
Non-roster player Luis Montero played well in 28 minutes. Montero hit four three-pointers in route to 13 points. He also contributed nine rebounds, one steal and one block. Montero went undrafted in 2015. He is looking to catch on with an NBA team after spending time in the G-League last season.
Final Thoughts
There you have it a short recap of the Sacramento Kings Summer League loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Dennis Smith Jr. was impressive on Thursday and led his Mavericks past the Kings. It was disappointing we did not get to see more Fox versus Smith Jr. because of the injury, but it looks to be a matchup to look forward to for years to come.
The Kings conclude their Las Vegas Summer League schedule with a final consolation game on Friday, July 14 against the Phoenix Suns. Sacramento looks to be undermanned in that contest but should bring the energy and intensity regardless. Check back for more information on that game.
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