A six-minute offensive slump in the fourth quarter was too much for the Sacramento Kings to overcome as they fell to the Dallas Mavericks by a score of 106-99. Led by De’Aaron Fox’s 15 points, the Kings kept things tight with Dallas through three quarters before they became unglued in the final period.
Game Summary
Led by Willie Cauley-Stein’s six points and three rebounds and the Kings’ 13-20 shooting from the floor, Sacramento ended up with a 28-27 lead after the first quarter of play.
The second period was much of the same with both teams playing no defense and scoring the ball a lot. Behind 10 points from Buddy Hield and Garrett Temple, the Kings shot 57% from the floor but were down 56-54 at the break.
Sacramento came out of the half on fire offensively. They jumped out on a quick 14-4 run and looked to ice the game early before the Mavericks stormed back. Another five turnovers by the Kings kept the Mavericks in it as they cut Sacramento’s lead to just four points, 85-81.
The confidence on the Dallas’ sideline carried over. A massive 16-0 run to open the fourth all but iced the game for the Mavericks. De’Aaron Fox was able to break the Kings dry spell with just over six minutes remaining, but it was too late. The closest the Kings got was within six points with just under three minutes remaining, but they couldn’t push it any further.
Final Thoughts/Key Takeaways
The Kings had five players score in double-figures, but none over 15 points. Sacramento shot a solid 53% from the field, but their 16 turnovers proved too much to overcome.
Justin Jackson left the game in the fourth due to a lower-body injury. Fortunately, according to Kings sideline reporter Kayte Christensen, it didn’t look serious. The Kings are dealing with a lot of Injuries, so it’ll be important to keep an eye on his status going forward.
Next: Sacramento Kings (16-37) take on the Chicago Bulls (18-34) Monday night.