Mavs ran out of gas in losing to Kings, 129-113

Sometimes the NBA schedule favors a team at certain points of the season, and sometimes it doesn’t. This weekend was one of those times when it didn’t favor the Mavericks.

One night after losing a road game to the Eastern Conference powerhouse Milwaukee Bucks, the Mavs jetted home and in less than 24 hours later found themselves squaring off against the hottest team in the Western Conference in the Sacramento Kings. And to put it bluntly, that didn’t go over well for the Mavs.

Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox combined for 62 points, and the weary Mavs completely ran out of gas in losing to the Kings, 129-113, Sunday night before an American Airlines Center sellout crowd of 20,211. The loss was the third in the last four games for the Mavs (9-5), while the Kings (8-4) won their sixth straight game.

Coaches and players never use the schedule as an excuse for a loss, and rightfully so. But no one would have blamed the Mavs if they did.

After losing in Milwaukee on Saturday night, 132-125, the Mavs boarded their charter and didn’t get home until after midnight. And just before the fourth quarter started Sunday, the Mavs’ tank was noticeably empty and there wasn’t nearly enough time to re-fuel after they completed a road trip that consumed four games and eight-plus days.

Looking fresh after last playing Friday night in San Antonio, the Kings took advantage of the dead-legged Mavs and won going away on the coattails of a 22-6 edge in second-chance points. Sprinkle in massive games from Sabonis (32 points, 13 rebounds, six assists) and Fox (30 points, seven assists, three steals), and Sacramento controlled this game for the majority of the night.

“We can complain about the schedule, about the time, about the floor, whatever we want to complain about,” coach Jason Kidd said. “But we’ve got to play the game and we’ve got to be pros about it.

“It’s about energy and effort and attitude.”

Luka Doncic, who led the Mavs with 25 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and three steals, said the long road trip had nothing to do with Dallas’ performance against the Kings.

“I think we just need to get better on our defense,” Doncic said.

Because the Kings got so many wide open looks at the basket – especially from three-point range – forward Grant Williams also said the Mavs must improve their effort on defense.

“We’re taught our (defensive) principles every single day, so be mindful of those,” Williams said. “Our physicality has to improve.”

Those huge second-chance points also were a point of contention for Kidd since that 16-point difference by the Kings wound up being the difference in the game.

“We talked about it before — understanding who was going to crash (the boards) — and we didn’t do a good job of boxing out tonight,” Kidd said. “We played up to when the score was 73-73, and we kind of just got disconnected from there.”

Actually, the score was 89-89 after Derrick Jones Jr. buried a three-pointer for the Mavs late in the third quarter. From there, the Kings seized controlled and never looked back.

Sabonis, who converted 13-of-15 baskets, was the main thorn in the Mavs’ side as he proved to be unstoppable.

“He was scoring in isolation,” Williams said. “That’s something that he doesn’t really want to do. That’s not his game. That’s not what he enjoys for his game. His game has always been making other people involved and better. So, he was just walking down the lane against us, doing pick-and-roll and shooting layups.

“That’s something we have to be better at — our low man being present and available and then having the low man’s back. That’s something we have to improve on and be mindful of because either we have to make a play at the rim and not allow these layups and things to happen, or we have to foul somebody and show a little bit of toughness.”

Kidd tipped his hat to Sabonis, saying: “He’s an All-Star. He’s one of the best at his position. He dominated the paint tonight.

“We double-teamed him, he got to the paint, and they found him on the roll. He had his way tonight. We have to be better.”

And when Sabonis wasn’t causing the Mavs problems, Fox was busy knocking down 10-of-20 shots, including 6-of-10 three-pointers.

“His pace is incredible,” Williams said. “When he makes shots, especially those pull-ups, it makes him difficult to guard.

“Making his life a little bit more difficult (and) pressuring the ball will be necessary.”

The Mavs fell behind by seven, but jetted ahead, 36-35, after the first quarter behind 11 points from Kyrie Irving and 10 from Doncic. But the Kings went up, 75-70, at halftime and increased that margin to 107-96 after three quarters.

Irving finished with 23 points, Tim Hardaway Jr. tallied 14 points and Josh Green poured in 11 points. But the Mavs were just 12-of-34 from three-point range, and didn’t have enough gas in the tank at the end to challenge the well-rested Kings.

“That was a good performance by our guys versus a very good Dallas Mavericks team,” Kings coach Mike Brown said. “In the NBA, guys are so athletic that when they drive the ball offensively, they go up in the air to make plays. But a lot of times, we go up in the air and we get stuck because guys aren’t quick. That’s where turnovers happen.

“But all our guys played off of two feet and I am so proud of them for doing something as simple as playing off of two feet. It’s not pretty – it’s basic basketball. But our guys did it and those sprays helped us generate a lot in the third (quarter). It was a good road win for us.”

And a not so good home loss for the Mavs.

Doncic said the Mavs must do a better job on the boards – the Kings outrebounded the Mavs, 48-40 – and a better job limiting upcoming opponents’ second-chance points.

““Yeah, that’s part of the defense and the physicality,” Doncic said. “I think those two things we need to get way better (at).”

The Mavs will try and reverse their recent misfortunes when they open a two-game road trip Wednesday in Los Angeles against the Lakers.

X: @DwainPrice