Dallas Mavericks score desperately needed win against Sacramento Kings as Jason Kidd returns – NBA Recap
Jason Kidd returned to the Dallas Mavericks squad and the defending champions put on a team effort to defeat the Sacramento Kings 110-100 here at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
Six Dallas players scored in double figures, led by Dirk Nowitzki with 15 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. DeMarcus Cousins had another double-double for the Kings, scoring 25 points and grabbing 18 rebounds. He also had a career high 6 steals in the game. But Cousin’s huge night was not enough to topple the Mavs.
Dallas had lost 4 of their last 6 games coming into this one, and were at 7th position in the West, at risk of being displaced by teams beneath. They needed a win to boost their chances of reaching the playoffs.
Sacramento took the lead early in the game with a 4-0 run to start off the proceedings. They never trailed in the first quarter after that. Dallas kept close, tying the game for the first time at 25 with a 3 pointer by Jason Terry. The kings scored on their next possession to finish the first quarter leading 27-25.
Dallas took the lead, for the first time in the match, in the opening minutes of the second quarter with a three pointer by Vince Carter. Marcus Thornton replied with a 3 pointer on the next Kings possession to put Sacramento back up by 1 but Dallas responded with 6 straight points to lead 37-32 with 8:49 remaining in the first half. They held on to that lead till the end of the 2nd quarter, leading 57-50 going into the second half.
Dallas increased their lead to 10 in the third quarter with a fade away by Nowitzki, but the Kings stuck to their tail. They came within four of Dallas on a dunk by Cousins and 4:43 remaining in the period. However, they could not regain the lead throughout the period, and Dallas went into the final 12 minutes leading by 83-77.
The Mavericks started the final period with a 3 pointer by Nowitzki, followed by a reverse fade away by Rodrigue Beaubois to lead 88-77. Back to back 3 pointers by Marcus Thornton and Jimmer Fredette brought the Kings to within 5 of the Mavericks with 6:40 left in the game.
Delonte West responded for Dallas, shooting two free throws followed by a 3 pointer on a bad foul by Cousins at a critical juncture in the game. Dallas kept the lead after that and won comfortably in the end 110-100.
Nowitzki had 15 points for Dallas but shot 4 of 14 from the field. Delonte West added 13, Shawn Marion had 10 points and 14 rebounds and Jason Terry added 13 points for Dallas. The Dallas bench outscored the Kings bench 54-23.
Tyreke Evans had 16 points and 5 assists for the Kings, where as Marcus Thornton and Isaiah Thomas both added 16 points. Both teams shot 44.6% from the field, but Dallas was 50% from beyond the arc as compared to 36% for the Kings, and had 11 more free throw attempts at 28.
Dallas also outnumbered Sacramento in rebounds, picking up 56 boards as compared to 40 for the Kings. They also had 11 blocks against 6 for the Kings. The Kings had 13 steals compared with7 for Dallas.
With this win, Dallas improved their record to 32-26, and are now 1 win ahead of 8th place Denver Nuggets.
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