‘No Nerves’: Luka-Less Mavs Rally Past Kings Behind Dinwiddie, Finney-Smith
The red-hot Dallas Mavericks learned early Saturday that superstar Luka Doncic was out for matinee affair with the struggling Sacramento Kings at American Airlines Center.
© Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
© Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
© Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Doncic's absence was felt throughout the game, but an dramatic corner 3-pointer from Dorian Finney-Smith with just three seconds left lifted the the Mavericks (39-25) past the Kings 114-113.
Spencer Dinwiddie also stepped up big in his first game as a starter for the Mavs, finishing with 36 points and seven assists while shooting 11-22 from the field and 12-13 from the free-throw line. Dinwiddie has only played in seven games for Dallas, but he's already become a fan favorite and shown he can be counted on in crucial situations.
© Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
© Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
© Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
“No nerves. I’ve been playing basketball in this league for a long time,” said Dinwiddie after helping ignite yet another comeback win. “I definitely want to be a continued service to my team and help us win games.
“I do what I do, and I don’t do what I’m not supposed to do. That goes 1-through-15. Everybody here [with the Mavs] follows that type of mentality because we understand that to not just win basketball games in the regular season, but in the playoffs, you need that.”
Jalen Brunson pitched in with 23 points and dished out six assists, with the biggest being on Finney-Smith's game-winner. Brunson shot 8-15 from the field and converted 2-3 from deep. Finney-Smith finished with 23 points, Josh Green scored 12 and Reggie Bullock had 11 points.
De'Aaron Fox gave the Mavs all they could handle with 44 points on 18-31 from the field. Domantas Sabonis was also solid for Sacramento, finishing with 15 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. The Kings dropped to 24-42.
The Mavs were down 65-51 at halftime, but began to chip away in the third quarter. Dallas finished the game with an 11-3 run over the final three minutes to avoid the upset.
On Monday, the Mavs take on the Utah Jazz for the second time in a little more than a week. Sitting just 1.5 games back of Utah in the Western Conference, Dallas needs a win to keep the Jazz from winning the regular season series. The Mavs have to win the final two games with Utah to forge a 2-2 tie, with the teams meeting again March 27.
