De’Aaron Fox scored 33 points to lead the Sacramento Kings to a 110-100 win over the short-handed Dallas Mavericks on Monday night, marking Doug Christie’s first victory as the Kings’ interim head coach. Sacramento, which trailed by as many as 18 in the first quarter, used a 17-2 run to close the third and take an 83-77 lead. Trey Lyles capped an 11-4 fourth-quarter surge with a three-pointer, pushing the advantage to double digits as the Kings pulled away.
Dallas, playing without Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Dereck Lively II, and Naji Marshall, leaned on standout performances from Spencer Dinwiddie and PJ Washington, who posted season highs with 30 and 28 points, respectively. The Mavericks led 60-56 at halftime but struggled in the second half, managing just 40 points as Sacramento tightened its defensive effort.
A pivotal moment came late in the third quarter when the Kings, trailing by nine, turned the game around with a relentless sequence on the boards. After grabbing four offensive rebounds on a single possession, Sabonis tipped in a missed shot to cut the lead to 75-74, energizing the crowd and swinging the momentum in Sacramento’s favor.
The Kings, who allowed the Lakers to shoot 60% from the field in their previous game, clamped down on defense to hold the Mavericks to 40% shooting in the second half. Dallas sorely missed their big players on Monday night and we have a grade for the players in blue who did play in the game.
Spencer Dinwiddie: A-
Stats: 30 PTS, 3 REB, 6 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 2 TO, 1 PF, 8-18 FG, 3-6 3PT, 11-12 FT, -9, 36 MIN
Spencer Dinwiddie was the Mavericks’ offensive leader, scoring 30 points and dishing out 6 assists. He got to the free-throw line effectively (11-of-12) and made three of his six three-point attempts. While he shot 8-of-18 overall, his scoring kept Dallas competitive despite a -9 plus/minus.
P.J. Washington: A-
Stats: 28 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 2 BLK, 2 TO, 4 PF, 8-20 FG, 4-9 3PT, 8-10 FT, +0, 38 MIN
Washington contributed 28 points with a solid mix of inside and outside scoring (4-of-9 from deep). He added 4 rebounds and 2 blocks but committed 4 fouls and 2 turnovers. Despite shooting 8-of-20, his ability to stretch the floor helped the Mavericks stay in the game (+0 plus/minus).
Quentin Grimes: C+
Stats: 11 PTS, 7 REB, 3 AST, 0 STL, 1 BLK, 4 TO, 1 PF, 4-12 FG, 3-7 3PT, 0-0 FT, -18, 33 MIN
Quentin Grimes scored 11 points and grabbed 7 rebounds, showing activity on the boards, but his 4 turnovers hurt the Mavericks. He struggled with efficiency, going 4-of-12 from the field, though he did make three of his seven three-point attempts. His -18 plus/minus reflected his challenges defensively.
Brandon Williams: C+
Stats: 10 PTS, 1 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 2 TO, 1 PF, 4-6 FG, 0-2 3PT, 2-2 FT, -6, 20 MIN
Brandon Williams made a limited impact offensively with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting. However, his lack of presence on the glass (1 rebound) and high turnover rate (2 in 20 minutes) contributed to his team’s struggles (-6 plus/minus).
Daniel Gafford: C+
Stats: 8 PTS, 6 REB, 0 AST, 1 STL, 5 BLK, 3 TO, 5 PF, 3-5 FG, 0-0 3PT, 2-2 FT, -12, 28 MIN
Daniel Gafford was impactful defensively, blocking 5 shots and grabbing 6 rebounds. However, he struggled with foul trouble (5 fouls) and turnovers (3). Offensively, he was efficient (3-of-5 shooting) but scored only 8 points in 28 minutes (-12 plus/minus).
Jaden Hardy: C+
Stats: 8 PTS, 3 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 2 BLK, 1 TO, 4 PF, 3-7 FG, 2-3 3PT, 0-1 FT, -8, 21 MIN
Jaden Hardy added 8 points and 2 blocks in 21 minutes, shooting 3-of-7 from the field. While he hit 2-of-3 three-pointers, his foul trouble (4 fouls) and limited overall contributions capped his effectiveness (-8 plus/minus).
Dwight Powell: C
Stats: 0 PTS, 5 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL, 2 BLK, 0 TO, 1 PF, 0-0 FG, 0-0 3PT, 0-0 FT, +2, 17 MIN
Powell went scoreless but contributed defensively with 2 steals and 2 blocks. His +2 plus/minus indicates he had a stabilizing presence, but his inability to score or create opportunities offensively limited his impact.
Maxi Kleber: C
Stats: 0 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 1 BLK, 0 TO, 0 PF, 0-3 FG, 0-3 3PT, 0-0 FT, -4, 29 MIN
Maxi Kleber failed to score in 29 minutes, going 0-of-3 from deep. While he added 4 rebounds and a block, his lack of offensive contribution hurt Dallas (-4 plus/minus).
Jazian Gortman: N/A
Stats: 5 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 3 TO, 3 PF, 2-3 FG, 0-0 3PT, 1-2 FT, +10, 8 MIN
Jazian Gortman showed flashes in his 8 minutes, scoring 5 points on 2-of-3 shooting. Despite his +10 plus/minus, his limited playing time doesn’t allow for a full evaluation.
Olivier-Maxence Prosper: N/A
Stats: 0 PTS, 1 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 0 PF, 0-2 FG, 0-1 3PT, 0-0 FT, -8, 9 MIN
Prosper played 9 minutes, grabbing 1 rebound and 1 assist but missing both of his shot attempts. His -8 plus/minus indicates a tough stretch defensively.
Kessler Edwards: N/A
Stats: 0 PTS, 0 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 0 PF, 0-0 FG, 0-0 3PT, 0-0 FT, +3, 2 MIN
Kessler Edwards logged just 2 minutes without attempting a shot or recording any stats other than a +3 plus/minus.
