‘Doncic Thriller’: Mavs Take Down Kings, 105-99
Halloween didn't start with a scary twist for the Dallas Mavericks. On a rare Sunday matinee game vs. the Sacramento Kings at the American Airlines Center, the Mavericks sought recovery following a 31-point beatdown at the hands of the Denver Nuggets. The Mavericks dethroned the Kings and got back in the win column with a 105-99 victory… including a ‘thriller’ of a logo shot from Luka Doncic in crunch time to give the Mavs the momentum for good.
Although Kristaps Porizngis missed his third consecutive game due to lower back tightness, the Mavs offense blazed the Kings with a 17-3 run to open the game. Opposite of the blowout in Denver, the Mavericks appeared confident, apparent in Luka Doncic's full-court assist to Dwight Powell early in the first quarter.
Early on, the Mavs' defense showed a pulse as the team pestered Buddy Hield off the three-point line and bothered him into shooting 0-of-4 from deep in the first half. The Dallas defense came to play in a valiant effort despite missing its best rim-protecting big.
Maxi Kleber, who had been playing great as of late, unfortunately came down wincing after a converted dunk midway through the first period. Kleber did not return to the contest due to straining his back. The Mavs are already down Porzingis; they need the defensive presence of Kleber and can only hope this isn’t a long-term issue.
De'Aaron Fox is the kind of elusive guard the Mavs tend to have a difficult time containing. However, Dallas did a fine job in keeping the Kings' guard out of the restricted area. Despite going 2-of-4 in the paint, Fox failed to attempt a layup in the first half.
The Mavs’ offense diffused a little bit following the 17-3 run, as the Kings cut it close 34-33 in the second quarter. The step-back three-point shot didn't work for Doncic in the first half. Thankfully for Dallas, the NBA superstar steadied the ship finding the rim at ease.
Continuing the trend of defense, Doncic locked down former Mavs Harrison Barnes in the post to end the first half 47-53 with the Mavs on top.
Compared to their out-of-gas performance vs. the Nuggets, the Mavs appeared fueled for the fight against the Kings.
The third quarter got hairy Dallas, as the Kings took a 60-59 lead, although it was short-lived. Doncic took the lead back two possessions later to get him up to 20 points.
Dallas led by 10 points heading into the final quarter.
Buddy Hield finally arrived in the fourth quarter by recording two triples and helping the Kings cut the deficit to three points. Ultimately, a step-back three-point shot and a barrage of fast-break dunks kept the Kings at bay, as Dallas recovered from its loss to the Nuggets and broke a three-game losing streak to Sacramento.
Doncic finished as the games' highest scorer with 23 points, eight rebounds, and 10 assists.
Overall, the Mavericks handled business against a young-and-hungry Kings team while providing Mavs fans with some jump-out-of-your-seat highlights on Halloween. The Miami Heat face the Mavericks at the AAC, Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. CT.
