SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Interstat) — The Sacramento Kings built a large early lead and withstood a second-half surge to defeat the Dallas Mavericks 113-107 on Saturday night at Golden 1 Center. Sacramento led by 15 points at halftime after scoring 59 first-half points. Dallas rallied with 33 points in the third quarter to close the gap but could not complete the comeback. The Kings secured the win despite being outscored in the final period. The victory improved Sacramento’s record to 8-23, while Dallas fell to 12-21. An announced crowd of 17,832 attended the game. The Kings were pregame favorites and covered the spread in the victory.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Interstat) — In a game defined by opportunistic defense and a decisive disparity in ball security, the Sacramento Kings overcame a prolific scoring night from Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg to defeat the Mavericks 113-107 on Saturday night at Golden 1 Center. A crowd of 17,832 saw the Kings, despite owning one of the league’s poorer records, force 19 Mavericks turnovers and convert them into 28 points. Sacramento’s 16 steals, led by a disruptive backcourt, stifled Dallas’s offensive flow throughout the night. The Mavericks, conversely, managed only six steals and six assists, highlighting a stagnant and mistake-prone performance. The most important stretch of the game came late in the fourth quarter, with the outcome still in the balance. After a Klay Thompson 3-pointer pulled Dallas within 106-103 with just over two minutes remaining, the Mavericks had multiple chances to tie or take the lead. On the ensuing possession, Dallas center Daniel Gafford committed a bad pass turnover, stolen by Sacramento’s Nique Clifford. Following Clifford’s free throws, Flagg missed a running pullup jumper that would have cut the deficit to three. The Kings then delivered the critical sequence. After a Malik Monk turnover gave Dallas another opportunity, the Mavericks failed to capitalize. Flagg was stripped by Keon Ellis, and though Russell Westbrook missed a layup on the other end, Dylan Cardwell secured the offensive rebound. The Kings reset, and with 1:25 left, Clifford sank a step-back 3-pointer to push the Sacramento lead to 109-105, a cushion the Mavericks could not overcome in the final minute. Dallas committed two more turnovers in the last 41 seconds to seal their fate. Flagg, the Mavericks’ standout forward, finished with 23 points, six rebounds and five assists in 34 minutes, but his seven turnovers were symptomatic of Dallas’s larger issues. PJ Washington added 17 points and five rebounds, and Daniel Gafford scored 11 points with seven rebounds. The Kings were led by veteran guard Russell Westbrook, who filled the stat sheet with 21 points, five rebounds and nine assists, orchestrating the offense and contributing to the defensive pressure. Keon Ellis matched Westbrook’s 21 points, adding two steals and two blocks, while center Maxime Raynaud provided 19 points, six rebounds and two blocks. The Kings’ ball movement, resulting in 16 assists to Dallas’s six, and their efficiency from beyond the arc, where they hit 17 of 38 attempts, proved decisive. Sacramento established control early, using a 12-0 run in the first quarter to build a double-digit lead. The Kings led 31-23 after one period and extended their advantage to 59-47 by halftime, capitalizing on 11 Dallas turnovers in the first half alone. The Mavericks mounted a significant challenge in the third quarter, erupting for 33 points behind Flagg’s scoring to trim the Kings’ lead to 88-83 entering the final period. Dallas briefly took a one-point lead early in the fourth, but Sacramento responded with a 7-0 run to regain control they would not relinquish. The victory improved Sacramento’s record to 8-23, while Dallas fell to 12-21. The Kings, who were 4.5-point pregame favorites, surpassed the projected over/under total of 227.5 with the teams combining for 220 points. Sacramento next visits the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. Dallas continues its road trip in Portland on Monday.

Preview: Mavericks at Kings, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025 SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Interstat) — Two struggling Western Conference teams seeking momentum will meet Saturday when the Dallas Mavericks visit the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. The Mavericks (12-20) enter having lost four of their last five, including a 126-116 defeat at Golden State on Christmas Day. The Kings (7-23) have lost eight of their last 10, most recently falling 136-127 to Detroit on Tuesday. The matchup features a compelling contrast in star power between Dallas’s emerging phenom and Sacramento’s veteran stalwart. Rookie forward Cooper Flagg is the focal point for Dallas, averaging 24.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists over his last 10 games. He is coming off a 27-point, six-rebound, five-assist performance against the Warriors and nearly posted a triple-double in a win over Denver on Dec. 23, finishing with 33 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. For Sacramento, six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan remains the primary offensive engine. The 36-year-old guard is averaging 21.5 points and 4.5 assists this season and has scored 27 or more points in three of his last five outings, including a 37-point, eight-assist effort in the loss to Detroit. Despite their poor records, both teams have shown flashes of competitiveness. Dallas’s recent wins include a thrilling 131-130 victory over the Nuggets and a 122-109 win against Houston. Sacramento snapped a seven-game skid with a 125-124 win over Houston on Dec. 21 and pushed Portland to overtime in a 134-133 loss on Dec. 18. The Mavericks will need secondary scoring beyond Flagg, with guard Brandon Williams (26 points vs. Golden State) and forward-center PJ Washington (14 points, 10 rebounds) as key contributors. The Kings will rely on DeRozan and veteran guard Russell Westbrook, who had 27 points and six rebounds last game, to pace their attack. This is the first of two meetings between the teams in an 11-day span; they are scheduled to play again in Sacramento on Jan. 6. The Kings host the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday to complete a back-to-back. The Mavericks continue a road trip in Portland on Monday.