Dallas Mavericks

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Kings Advance to Western Conference Finals

kings-advance-to-western-conference-finals

Steven Wilson

When these teams met on Dec. 8 this season, the Kings sat at 10-10 looking to get back above the .500 mark as their All-Star center was out with viral meningitis.

Sacramento accomplished the feat, defeating the Jazz handily after a slow start thanks to big games from Rudy Gay (29 points), Darren Collison (16) and Nik Stauskas (15).

Now, the Kings look for another win, but this time on the road.

The purple and black head into Energy Solutions Arena on a two-game skid, while Utah has dropped its last three games, including a 100-93 defeat to Phoenix on Friday night.

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Utah’s small forward Gordon Hayward continues to have a career season.

Not only did he posterize Miles Plumlee from the Suns on Friday night, but he’s averaging a career-high 19.3 points per game on 45-percent shooting. Despite the Jazz sitting in fourth place in the Northwest Division, Hayward has helped the team overcome obstacles and even pull out the occasional upset like last week against the Warriors.

Hayward had a team-high 24 points last night against the Suns, but Utah still came up short, 100-93.

Earlier this year against the Kings, the Jazz star small forward scored 12 points in the first quarter as Utah jumped on Sacramento early. But the Kings responded quickly and Rudy Gay clamped down on defense.

The Kings No. 8 limited Hayward to only seven points over the final three quarters of play while racking up a game-high 29 on the other end of the floor. The purple and black will look for another performance like that as they attempt to get the win on the road.

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Preview: Kings (17-31) at Jazz (17-32)

The last time Dallas came to town, DeMarcus Cousins nearly recorded the second triple-double of his career, finishing with 32 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists, but Sacramento slipped in overtime, 108-104.

Now, the Mavs return to Sleep Train Arena for the third and final meeting between the teams.

Broadcasts: TV – CSNCA/NBATV
Comcast - 34 / 721
Dish - 449 / 9519
Dish Hopper – 412-37
DirecTV - 698-1
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Kings forward Quincy Miller was recently added to the NBA D-League All-Star game roster along with former Reno Bighorns teammate, Jordan Hamilton.
Miller recently signed a second 10-day contract with Sacramento since joining the Kings in late January. He has appeared in four games with the squad and racked up a season-high 13 points against the Warriors at Oracle Arena on Jan. 23.

Before making the switch from Reno to Sacramento, the 6-foot-10 forward led the NBA D-League in scoring at 26.3 points per game.

The Kings big man has simply been sensational against the Mavericks in recent history. In his last three home starts against Dallas, No. 15 has averaged 30.6 points, 15 boards and 5.6 assists per game.

Last time these teams met in Sactown, Boogie rejected Parsons, collected the ball, dribbled past half court and found a slashing Derrick Williams for the alley-oop jam.

Rondo suffered a fracture to the left occipital bone below his eye as well as a nasal fracture and will miss at least three games while undergoing additional testing, the team announced on Monday.

Rondo sustained the injury in the opening minutes of Saturday night's win over the Orlando Magic as he was accidentally kneed by teammate Richard Jefferson.

The newly-acquired guard has started every game but one since arriving in Dallas as the centerpiece of a blockbuster trade with the Boston Celtics on Dec. 19.

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Preview: Kings (17-30) vs. Mavs (33-18)

Playing just 22 games side-by-side, the Sacramento Kings regular starting five has been outstanding this season.

With DeMarcus Cousins and Jason Thompson manning the paint, Rudy Gay on the wing and the combination of Darren Collison and Ben McLemore in the backcourt, the Kings rank ninth in offensive rating (111.3), first in defensive rating (88.6) and fifth in net rating (+22.7)

“If you look at the last few games, other than that third quarter against Denver, we’ve been making great progress with that group,” said Head Coach Tyrone Corbin.

Those five players have racked up over 300 minutes together on the court − good for eighth in the League − which has allowed them to establish a unique trust between one another.

“Matchups change… but for the most part, we feel like with that traditional lineup, we can match up against most teams,” continued Corbin.

Sacramento has the added luxury of some solid rebounding bigs in its starting five. Big Cuz has routinely ranked amidst the top of every rebounding category, JT regularly flirts with double-digit boards and Rudy Gay is a strong rebounder from his small forward spot.

As a group, the Kings starting unit ranks seventh in rebounding percentage at 54.6 and 14th in defensive glass cleaning (78.9).

“For us, I think now it’s about finding that consistency,” said Thompson. “In two out of the last three games, we’ve played against really good teams and I feel like we (adjusted our playing style). We can’t be hyped for some games and not for others. We have to have that same mentality game-in and game-out.”

The group also holds the 12th spot in the League with an effective field goal percentage of 54.5, while nearly cracking the top-15 in pace (97.21), which ranks the number of possessions a team has per 48 minutes.

“I think they’re really doing a good job communicating with each other and holding each other accountable,” said Corbin.

Kings forward Jason Thompson did an admirable job with Kevin Love in the team’s recent win, holding him to 25 points on 21 shots, but now he has another highly skilled opponent to deal with.

Dirk Nowitzki leads the Mavs into Sacramento as the teams partake in a rematch of November’s shootout in which Dallas stormed back from a 24-point deficit to claim a 106-98 win.

“I can’t say enough about how much I respect his understanding, especially where he’s at and his role on this team,” Corbin said of Thompson after practice on Monday.

“He’s done a really good job for us and has made us better because of his versatility and his attention to detail.”

Known for his sharp-shooting reliability over the past decade, Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki had an off month to round out 2014. He connected on just 27.8 percent of his threes in December, averaging 17.8 points per game. Historically, it was one of the worst shooting months of his career.

“Dirk is a unique player,” admitted Thompson.

“Sometimes you’re not going to be able to block his shot because of his height, but you have to contest and make it tough for him.”

In five games this month, Dallas’ No. 41 is averaging 18.2 points, shooting 44.7 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from the three-point line.

“The game has changed when it comes to (power forwards),” said Thompson. “Just by stretching the floor, making threes and trying to shoot more jump shots − it’s something that you have to adjust to.”

The Kings No. 34 will look to slow down Nowitzki and Co. as the Kings seek their third win at home in the past four games.

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Kings Starting Five Earn Top Rankings

Through the first quarter inside the American Airlines Center, it looked as if the Kings would finally stymie their 20-game losing streak against the Mavericks in Dallas. The Kings held a 32-14 lead and were outshooting the home team 47% to 23%.

That lead swelled to a game-high 24 points midway through the second quarter, but the home team stormed back. Monta Ellis drained a pair of free throws with six minutes remaining in the third to tie the game at 67-all. From there, it was all Dallas.

The team in white hit 54-percent of their field goal attempts in the second half and locked down Sacramento’s offensive attack to take home the 106-98 victory.

The loss was the 21st in a row for the Kings in Dallas with Sacramento’s last win coming on Feb. 27th, 2003.

Early in the game on Tuesday, it looked like that streak would end.

Boogie was dominant in the first, getting the ball on the opening Kings possession and earning the bucket on his second attempt, before adding his second bucket of the game on a hook shot in the lane just a minute later. Rudy Gay added four points of his own as the Kings superstars led their team to an 8-0 lead less than four minutes into the game.

Despite a timeout from the Mavs, the Kings offensive barrage continued.

When DMC wasn’t scoring, he was finding open teammates. At the six-minute mark in the first quarter, Big Cuz found Ramon Sessions slashing to the net for a wide-open, two-handed slam.

Not wanting to be outdone, Ben McLemore got in on the action with back-to-back-to-back threes to put the purple and black up by 20. With one of the sharpest strokes on the team over the last three games, No. 23 has connected on 11 triples over the past four games - tying his career high (4) in each of the past two outings.

Meanwhile, the Mavericks hit just 2-of-12 shots from the floor in the opening 10 minutes and turned the ball over four times including two offensive fouls - both charges drawn by Cousins.

No matter what Dallas tried, the home team couldn’t stop their guests as the Kings jumped out to a 18-point lead heading into the second quarter.

The visitors kept up the heat early in the second period as the reserves led a 10-6 spurt through the first three minutes of the quarter. Sacramento started 4-of-6 from beyond the arc following Ray McCallum’s first triple of the night and third of the season.

A fade-away jumper from Carl Landry midway through the second gave the River City its largest lead of the game (24 points), 44-20, but there was still 8:46 remaining in the first half and the Mavs started to find their stroke.

A three-point play from Sessions put the Kings up, 49-27, before Dirk Nowitzki nailed four-straight free throws. McLemore answered right back as he pushed Sacramento past the 50-point plateau before halftime with his fourth triple of the half.

Just before halftime, the Mavericks closed the gap with a 9-0 run in just over one minute. Thanks to a 52.6-shooting percentage in the second quarter, the Mavericks dominated the frame, 34-25, and cut the deficit to single digits at the half, 57-48.

Sacramento pushed the lead to 10 early in the third period thanks to a trey from Sessions, but Nowitzki quickly responded with a long two.

The Mavericks used a 15-4 run midway through the third to tie the game at 67-all, before taking their first lead of the game on a Monta Ellis layup at the 5:37 mark.

Gay added his 18th and 19th points of the night and tied the game on a jumper with 4:50 left in the third quarter, but the home team responded with a 9-3 run to take a 78-70 lead heading into the fourth. The mini-spurt was capped by a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Ellis, who finished with 16 points on 7-of-16 shooting.

Steering the comeback, Dallas outscored Sacramento, 11-0, in fast-break points in the third period as the Kings committed six turnovers.

The momentum continued to favor the home team for most of the fourth quarter as the Mavs used a 9-5 spurt to take a double-digit lead, 87-77. In the midst of that run, Nowitzki moved into 9th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with his signature pull-up jumper from just inside the arc with 8:55 left in the fourth quarter.

With just under four minutes remaining in regulation, the Kings cut the lead to double-digits as Gay found Omri Casspi for an open three, but the Mavericks offense was too tough and the home team held on for the win.

There’s something about playing the Dallas Mavericks that Rudy Gay enjoys. Last season in three matchups, Gay averaged 32.3 points per contest as a member of the Kings.

On Tuesday night, the 28-year-old was solid again, despite the outcome. No. 8 totaled a game-high 26 points on 7-of-14 shooting, while adding 8 rebounds, a season-high 8 assists and two steals.

Eleven of his 26 points came from the charity stripe, where he is shooting 85-percent from this season.

Although he battled foul trouble for most of the game, DeMarcus Cousins still managed to finish with his fifth double-double of the season, and third in his last four games, scoring 16 points and adding 11 rebounds. Boogie saw just over 29 minutes of action on the floor against the Mavs - his third-lowest output this season - yet his hot start helped Sacramento earn its double-digit lead early. DMC scored six of the team’s first 12 points in the opening five minutes.

Playing in place of starting point guard Darren Collison, who was nursing a stiff left shoulder, Ramon Sessions had had his best game in a Kings uniform. After averaging just 4.7 points per outing through the first seven games of the season and a 23-percent shooting clip, the Kings reserve point guard earned a season-high 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc.

Despite a scoreless first quarter, Nowitzki tallied a team-high 23 points in 34 minutes of action on Tuesday and became the highest-scoring international player in NBA history.

Just 17 points shy of the record to start the game, the Mavericks No. 41 found his rhythm in the second period as he connected on his first field goal at 6:58 mark. The 16-year pro added four straight free throws and had 11 points at the break.

With 8:55 left in the fourth quarter, Nowitzki made history with a pull-up jumper, moving into 9th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, surpassing Hakeem Olajuwon. Nowitzki now has 26,953 career points.

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Sacramento Slips in Dallas

Tonight, the Kings will look to get back on the winning track as well as end the NBA's second-longest active road losing streak in a series as they face the Dallas Mavericks inside American Airlines Center. Sacramento has lost 20 in a row on the road to the Mavs with the last win coming on Feb. 27, 2003 in overtime (126-124).

Broadcasts: TV – CSNCA
Comcast - 34 / 721
Dish - 449 / 9519
Dish Hopper – 412-37
DirecTV - 698-1
AT&amp;T - 768 / 1768Radio – KHTK Sports 1140 AM

The Sacramento Kings have never won their first four road games to start an NBA season and that drought will continue as the Oklahoma City Thunder snapped the River City’s five-game overall win streak (3 in a row on the road) on Sunday with a 101-93 victory inside Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Despite 23 points from Rudy Gay and 16 apiece from DeMarcus Cousins and Ben McLemore, the Kings were outscored in three of the four quarters allowing the Thunder to shoot 46-percent from the field in the game.

“We dug ourselves a hole,” Gay told reporters after the game. “It came to the point where we expected calls and things to get us out of it, but it didn’t go our way. You can’t start like that. It’s a good learning experience for us. No matter who you’re playing, you can’t come out like that.”

Sacramento, which shot just 37-percent from the floor in the first half, trailed by 13 at intermission, 52-39, and allowed OKC to shot 49-perecent from the field.

“I don’t think we had the right mindset even to start the game, before they went to zone [defense],” said Kings Coach Michael Malone. “They didn’t go to the zone until they went to their big lineup off the bench. They played very physical − the game plan was to beat us up and to be physical. Every game takes on its own personality, and we did not respond well to that.”

The purple and black made the game interesting in the third period as the starting group sparked a 13-0 run thanks to 7 points from DMC. The Kings defense also clamped down as the Thunder went scoreless for more than five minutes missing eight consecutive shots and turning the ball over four times.  In the third frame alone, Sacramento forced 9 OKC turnovers and pulled within two, 67-65, heading into the final period.

“I thought the third quarter was a great quarter for us,” continued Malone. “We held them to about 33-percent, 15 points, and we cut the lead to two. [But] we exerted so much energy getting back into the game that when we went to our bench, they just didn’t have it tonight, for whatever reason.”

OKC closed the game with a strong fourth quarter, outscoring their guests, 34-28, to seal the victory and snap Sacramento’s win streak.

Looking Back: Dallas vs. Sacramento, Dec. 9, 2013

The night Rudy Gay was introduced to his new team, the short-handed Kings − playing with only 10 healthy bodies due to the major trade earlier in the week − led by as many as 24 points on their way to a 112-97 victory over the Dallas Mavericks inside Sleep Train Arena. DeMarcus Cousins established himself in the post early, leading the Kings with 32 points and 19 rebounds, while Derrick Williams had a breakout game, scoring a career-high 31 points on 12-for-16 shooting, including a 3-for-5 clip from long range in the win.

"I guess I came on a good day because the team was playing great," Gay told the media after the game  "Obviously DeMarcus and Derrick played well, so this is a good start and I can't wait to get out there with the guys."

On this night, the Kings showed plenty of offense minus their new star small forward. Sacramento shot 47-percent from the floor, racked up 23 assists, and outscored the Mavericks 23-5 on fast-break points.

Last season − just like many in the past − the Dallas Mavericks were reliant on Dirk Nowitzki to provide the majority of their offense, averaging a team-high 21.7 points during his 80 appearances while connecting on 49.7 percent from the field, 39.8 percent from three-point range and 89.9 percent at the free-throw line. However, Dallas was ousted in seven games to the eventual NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs.

This offseason the Mavs added a key piece on offense at small forward with the  signing of Chandler Parsons, who could take some of the pressure off of Dirk.

Similar to Sacramento, Dallas has also preached more ball movement this season and thanks to the emergence of two-guard Monta Ellis last year, Mavs Owner Mark Cuban says the team is poised for much more offensive success this upcoming season while requiring less from the face of the franchise.

Dallas is averaging the fourth-most points in the League this season at 105 points per contest led by Nowitzki’s 20.6 ppg average. Unlike their last two outings, the Kings will need a fast start if they hope to slow down the Mavericks attack.

“We have to understand that we aren’t that good to just ease our way into the game and try to come back,” said Darren Collison after the OKC loss. “We have good players, but as far as a team, we haven’t accomplished anything. We really don’t have any excuse to start the games really slow. We have to come in with a mindset that we are going to get everybody’s best shot.”

Nowitzki will be looking for a strong scoring night as he needs just 17 points to pass Hakeem Olajuwon for 9th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. By passing “The Dream,” Dirk would also become the highest-scoring international player in League history. Dallas’ No. 41 hasn’t scored fewer than 17 in a game this season. The 16-year pro currently has 26,930 career points.

Employing some of the best glass-cleaners in the game, the Kings have become the best rebounding team in the NBA. The team currently ranks first in the League with 47.4 boards per contest and first in defensive rebounding (35.6 rpg). In Sacramento’s five wins this year, the squad is racking up 49 rebounds per game, while averaging 43.5 rpg in their pair of losses.

Just as important, the Kings aren’t allowing opponents to get second chances. Through seven games, the purple and black are third in the NBA with an opponent-offensive-rebounding percentage of 21.9 trailing only the Hornets (18.1) and the Spurs (21.0).

Rebounding in this Tuesday’s matchup against the Mavericks could also prove to be the difference as Dallas is 29th this year in opponents offensive rebounding percentage often allowing their counterparts get second or third looks at the basket.

In what will be his first full season in Sacramento, Rudy Gay has been impressive through seven games, averaging 22.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Although it’s a small sample size, each of those would be career-highs for the eighth-year pro out of UConn. Furthermore, his offensive prowess has been one of the best in the League as he currently ranks 13th in the NBA in ppg this year.

Showcasing his ability to find the net with ease, No. 8 has posted a 57.4 true shooting percentage through seven games according to basketball-refence.com. Gay has also gotten his teammates involved earning 2.7 assists per contest and a career-high 15.2 assist percentage when he’s on the floor.

On Sunday, point guard Darren Collison returned the favor. In the third quarter, No. 7 lobbed a pass for Gay, who slammed it home with two hands.

Gay could have another big night against the Mavericks given his recent past against them. Last season after joining the Kings in December, he averaged 32.3 points and a 62.3 percent clip from the field in three contests against Dallas.

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Preview: Kings (5-2) at Mavericks (4-3)

Flashback to the final week of September during the Sacramento Kings official Training Camp − Coach Michael Malone is on the sideline in front of the team’s branded backdrop surrounded by media members. When asked about the importance this week will have on the season, he ponders the question before responding.

“[Training Camp] isn’t just about offense, defense and X’s and O’s,” said the Kings leader at the time. “The more important thing is relationships and building a bond and a trust with each other.”

Six weeks later, the team looks impeccable with a 4-1 record following back-to-back wins over the Denver Nuggets, the second in convincing fashion. After a 28-win season in 2013-14, the Kings have looked like a new team so far this year and the turnaround has been impressive.

It has taken time for Sacramento’s front office to piece together this now tight-knit group − a squad with fight, heart and a never-say-never attitude.

“We’re definitely a team that’s trying to change the culture of this organization,” said forward Carl Landry, “to get it back on track, where this team once was. We just have to take it step-by-step and day-by-day.”

Some teams may relish in the fact their team is 4-1, but these Kings are different. They recognize the continued need for improvement. While still enjoying a hard-earned win, each player is responsible for bringing a tireless work ethic to practice every single day.

“We’re hungry,” admitted Landry. “Every practice, we’re trying to get better. Every game, we want to continue to win. We know it’s not a sprint − it’s a marathon. We have to continue to take it game-by-game.”

Wednesday’s comfortable win over the Denver Nuggets not only gave Sacramento its first 4-1 start since the 2001-02 season, but it gave the Kings a little breathing room heading into a tough four-game road-trip.

“Thank goodness we’ve been able to start the way we have and build a 4-1 cushion,” said Head Coach Michael Malone after practice on Thursday. “We talked about that on Media Day in our team meeting. We wanted to have a great month of October so we could try to steal some games early, knowing that our schedule is very demanding.”

Over the next week, the purple and black will face Phoenix, Oklahoma City, Dallas and Memphis, teams with a combined record of 12-7 and 11-3 if you remove the Thunder’s 1-4 mark.

“I think it’s going to be a great test,” Malone continued. “Any time you go up against the likes of Phoenix, Memphis, OKC, Dallas, you’re going to have a great understanding of where you’re at [as a team] when you come back.”

Boasting one of the best center-small forward combos in the game, the Kings will be counting on DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay all year long. The dynamic duo has been stellar through five games averaging a combined 48.4 points and 16.8 rebounds per game.

Rudy and DMC are also leading the charge off the court and in the locker room showing leadership and poise even through adverse times. Their guidance has created a close bond between everyone on the team.

“The guys have come together − we have a tremendous group,” said Coach Malone. “I’ve noticed a significant change with DeMarcus and Rudy and how vocal they’re being and how positive they’re being even if maybe we’re going through a rough time during a game − there’s a lot of positive feedback.”

After the home opener − a loss to Golden State − the Kings remained calm. Instead of panicking, the team responded with four-straight wins, including victories over Portland and Los Angeles. A large part of that is due to the veteran leadership on the team.

“You can see it on our bench during the game,” said Malone. “Our bench is up, our bench is in to the game and like we always say, it’s amazing what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit − we all just want to win and I think guys are checking their egos at the doors.”

In all, Sacramento has nine players with at least five years of experience in the NBA. Although they haven’t played a full season together, the core of the Kings is a close-knit group of young and talented young men.

“We have a good mix right now [of veterans and young guys],” said Malone. “When you see guys up and supporting their teammates throughout the game, I think that bodes well for your team’s camaraderie and chemistry.”