Final: Kings 104, Mavs 101
Box Score | Highlights
Behind the Box Score
The Mavs dished out 20+ assists for the eighth consecutive game, extending their second-longest streak of the season.
Notebook
David Lee’s presence gave the Mavs an energy boost they needed, particularly in the third quarter. Down 67-57, the Mavs instantly rallied when Lee entered the game, getting to within twould points in a matter of minutes. Zaza Pachulia is needed in games like these as well, as he has the physical tools necessary to defend a player like DeMarcus Cousins. But the positive impact Lee makes on the offense can’t be denied, and it was evident in this one. The offense just seems to flow better when he’s on the floor, particularly when Chandler Parsons has it going on the perimeter. How the Mavs divide up the minutes at the center position moving forward will be a key to watch for down the stretch.
The Mavs gave Wesley Matthews more looks on the block tonight, particularly when he had a size advantage after a Sacramento switch resulted in a point guard defending the Mavs’ 2. Matthews has tremendous strength for his size, and it led to plenty of good looks. More surprising than Matthews’ volume of low touches, however, was the frequency with which the Mavs posted up Chandler Parsons. Many times when he had a size advantage — which occurred frequently — he attacked his smaller defender on the block as well, and he got plenty of easy layups this way. We haven’t seen much of that this season but it was effective tonight, leading me to wonder if we might see it more often in the future.
What’s Next
The Mavs (33-29) play the Denver Nuggets (24-37) Sunday at Pepsi Center. Tip-off is at 4 p.m. Central.
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