3 overreactions as Mavericks escape with win over Sacramento Kings

The Dallas Mavericks had a late-night tip against the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night, looking to make up for the loss they suffered at the hands of the Kings about 9 days ago. The Kings hadn't won a game since then, losing five straight games by an average of over 20 PPG, but anything is on the table when the Mavs are on the road.

For some reason, Jason Kidd went back to the double-big lineup once again, starting Cooper Flagg at point guard, with Anthony Davis and Daniel Gafford together in the frontcourt. It didn't really work against the Houston Rockets over the weekend, as the lineups with a point guard were the ones that made the biggest difference (shocking, I know).

And, predictably, the no point guard lineups didn't work in this game, either. The difference was that the lineups with a point guard, like Brandon Williams, weren't much better. Cooper Flagg had four assists in the first quarter, so his playmaking was fine, but the Mavericks found themselves down by 11 in the first.

Part of that is because they had four players on the floor in the starting lineup who are shooting below 31% from three this year: Flagg, Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, and Naji Marshall. Max Christie has been ridiculously hot from three recently, but he can't be the only respected shooter.

Once Ryan Nembhard checked into the game in the second quarter, Cooper Flagg suddenly looked like a much more natural player, going on a personal 7-0 run at the start of the quarter that cut the lead to three. But then, the Kings started to build the lead back up and found themselves leading by 12 five minutes later. Anthony Davis was getting his points, but he was wildly inefficient to start this game, and that gave the Kings a 58-46 lead at halftime.

Another 7-0 run, this time out of halftime, brought the lead down to 5. But anytime the Mavericks pulled themselves within striking distance, the Kings would pull away again. It was Zach LaVine who stabilized the Kings this time, hitting a few baskets to push the lead back up to 12.

With the lead at 10, Cooper Flagg spearheaded a 9-0 run, and all of a sudden, the Kings only led by one. Then, Brandon Williams converted an and-one, and we had a tie game just before the end of the quarter, but a Dennis Schroder lay-up would give the Kings a slight edge heading into the final frame.

Dallas had plenty of opportunities to take the lead in the fourth quarter, but between missed layups from Anthony Davis, turnovers from Naji Marshall, and defensive lapses, it felt like the Mavericks would never get over that hump. Finally, with about 4:20 left, Marshall finally gave them their first lead since the first quarter.

Some back-and-forth baskets gave the Kings again before a lefty layup from Cooper Flagg in the final minute gave Dallas the lead, but DeMar DeRozan answered with his signature jumper at the free-throw line. Brandon Williams cashed a three with 33 seconds remaining to put them up by two, and Dallas let Dennis Schroder and Russell Westbrook badly miss threes on the next possession. However, Naji Marshall missed both free throws, giving the Kings a chance to tie or take the lead. DeRozan's game-winning attempt would be off line, and the Mavericks would escape with a 100-98 win.

It was a balanced effort for the Mavs, as Cooper Flagg had 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists on 8/15 shooting. Anthony Davis may have had 19 points and 16 rebounds, but he shot a dreadful 7/23 from the floor and was mostly not fun to watch. Brandon Williams had a big game off the bench with 18 points.

DeMar DeRozan led all scorers with 21 points, and was followed closely by 20 points from Zach LaVine.

Here are three overreactions from this win.

1. Jason Kidd is Not Putting Cooper Flagg in the Best Situation to Succeed

Jan 1, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd and forward Cooper Flagg (32) look on during the game between the Mavericks and the 76ers at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

It's understandable that Jason Kidd wants to help develop Cooper Flagg's playmaking by putting him at point guard, but it's just not a winning formula. Maybe he's accepted that the team isn't going anywhere, so he's purposefully playing lineups that don't work, but playing Flagg with three other complete non-shooters is just asking for him to fail. The Mavericks may have won, but it took a lot of pain and struggle to get there.

2. One of Anthony Davis or Daniel Gafford Have to be Traded (or both)

Feb 8, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) and center Daniel Gafford (21) celebrates after Davis dunks the ball during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Daniel Gafford and Anthony Davis just don't work in the same lineup. We've seen double-big lineups work around the NBA, but generally, one of those bigs can stretch the floor (Alperen Sengun in Houston, Chet Holmgren in OKC, Naz Reid in Minnesota, Myles Turner in Milwaukee, etc.). Anthony Davis can't shoot. Daniel Gafford doesn't shoot. When they're on the floor together, there is just no spacing, and it's not a surprise that the Mavericks were better with only one of them on the floor. Most fans would prefer Davis to be traded because of his injury history and contract, but Gafford may be the more reasonable player to trade.

3. This Game May Set the NBA Back Years

Jan 6, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) reacts after the Sacramento Kings commit a turnover in the second quarter at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

28 combined turnovers. 17/58 from three. All-Stars all over the place who are well past their prime. Even free throws were a combined middling 25/38. Not many NBA games end with a combined score below 200, but that's what happens with bad teams that can't score, and these teams couldn't score in this game.

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