3 Overreactions as Mavericks Fall to NBA's Worst Team, the Sacramento Kings

The Dallas Mavericks had one lone game at home Thursday night in a sea of road games as they hosted the pitiful Sacramento Kings. The Kings entered the game with the worst record in the NBA, and no matter the result of this game, they would leave with the worst record.

After losing 10-straight games, the Mavericks have two straight wins after beating the tanking Indiana Pacers and Brooklyn Nets earlier this week. To keep up with the lottery odds, the Mavericks needed to lose this game.

All signs pointed to a loss early. This is the first night of a back-to-back for the Mavs, and they were without Cooper Flagg, Daniel Gafford, and P.J. Washington, among others. And that helped the Kings jump out to a 14-point lead in the first quarter. Precious Achiuwa and Maxime Reynaud were torching Dallas' frontcourt of Marvin Bagley III and Dwight Powell, combining for 22 of Sacramento's 42 points in the opening frame.

That lead grew in the second quarter. Recently signed tank commander Killian Hayes started the period with a three-pointer, and the Kings would get the lead to 18 points after an and-one from Drew Eubanks. It felt like the Mavs started to make a little bit of a dent going into halftime as they stopped turning the ball over and got to the basket, but it was still a 12-point deficit at halftime after Devin Carter forced a turnover and slammed it home on the other end.

That sliver of momentum from the Mavericks carried over into the second half, though, as they used the first three minutes to help cut the lead to 3 on an 11-0 run as Max Christie finally started to get it going a little bit. But Sacramento came right back to push the lead back up to 15 using a 14-2 run as Reynaud and Achiuwa continued to terrorize the Mavs. That made it a 12-point difference going into the fourth.

Dallas kept trying to push back, even with the Kings pushing the lead to 17 in the first few minutes. A 12-0 run, bookended by layups from AJ Johnson, cut the lead to 5. It would be a few more minutes before it got any closer than that. Sacramento got the lead back up to 9, but the Mavs finally cut into the lead a little more with a three-pointer from Brandon Williams a few possessions later to bring the lead to 4, and Naji Marshall splitting a pair of free throws to get the lead to three.

Devin Carter created some turnovers to create an easy basket for himself and Daeqwon Plowden, which got the lead back to 7. But an and-one from Brandon Williams would bring the lead to 2 with less than 2 minutes to play. Second-chance points from Achiuwa pushed the lead back to 4, and the Kings would salt the game away from there, going on to win 130-121.

This is huge for the tanking Mavs to reestablish themselves back in the loss column, especially against the worst team in the NBA. Sacramento officially won the season series against the Mavs, which could impact tiebreakers, but it's unlikely the Mavs outtank the Kinds the rest of the way.

Here are three overreactions from this much-needed loss.

1. Naji Marshall Still Does Not Care About Your Tank...

Feb 26, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall (13) brings the ball up court against the Sacramento Kings during the second quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Naji Marshall was great in this game, finishing with 36 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists on 14/23 shooting. He really couldn't have done much more. He does not care about your tank. He will never care about your tank.

2. ...But Marvin Bagley III Is Bad Enough Defensively

Feb 26, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Marvin Bagley III (35) walks back on the court during the second quarter against the Sacramento Kings at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Marvin Bagley III has made a case for himself to be retained next season as a putback machine and lob threat, but he can have some rough moments defensively. Not saying it was all on him, but Precious Achiuwa had a career-high 29 points in this game. Many NBA fans probably didn't even realize Achiuwa was still in the league.

3. Mavericks Have to Add a Point Guard This Offseason

Feb 26, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Brandon Williams (10) passes the ball by Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud (42) during the first quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Kyrie Irving may return next year, but this team still needs a lot of help in the backcourt. If they're in range to draft Kingston Flemings or Mikel Brown, they have to be the picks. Darius Acuff is a possibility, too. And adding a free agent who can play either backcourt spot would be huge. Dallas had 17 turnovers in this game; they have to add more playmaking.