Kings Beat Mavericks 115-100 for First Win of the Season as Rookie Darius Acuff Jr. Scores 25

The Sacramento Kings are finally on the board. Rookie Darius Acuff Jr. scored 25 points, Malik Monk added 24 off the bench and Zach LaVine had 23 as the Kings beat the Dallas Mavericks 115-100 on Monday night in Dallas for their first win of the season.

Sacramento had been the last NBA team without a victory this season, according to the Associated Press. The Kings are now 1-6. Dallas fell to 4-3, ending a three-game winning streak.

Kings vs. Mavericks: final score by quarter

How Sacramento broke through

This one was close for a half. The Kings led just 54-53 at the break, and the game had 17 lead changes, per the ESPN box score.

Sacramento pulled away after halftime, outscoring Dallas 61-47 over the third and fourth quarters. The difference was shooting from deep. The Kings made 19 of 43 3-pointers (44%), while the Mavericks made just 7 of 33 (21%), according to the box score. Dallas stayed in it at the free-throw line, going 29-of-35, but couldn’t keep up from outside.

Darius Acuff Jr. leads the way

Acuff, a rookie, scored 25 points on 10-of-21 shooting and added six assists and five rebounds in 37 minutes. Monk was the most efficient of the three top scorers. He hit 9 of 14 shots, including five 3-pointers, and handed out seven assists. The Kings were plus-27 with him on the floor, the best mark of the night.

LaVine added 23 points with five 3-pointers. Leaky Black chipped in 12 points off four 3s, and Precious Achiuwa grabbed 10 rebounds.

Sacramento Kings vs. Dallas Mavericks match player stats

Kings

• Darius Acuff Jr.: 25 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds
• Malik Monk: 24 points, 9-of-14 FG, 7 assists
• Zach LaVine: 23 points, 5-of-9 3PT
• Leaky Black: 12 points, 4 steals
• Domantas Sabonis: 9 points on 4-of-4 shooting, 7 rebounds
• Emanuel Sharp: 9 points, 3-of-3 from deep

Mavericks

• Daniel Gafford: 20 points, 9-of-10 FG, 7 rebounds
• Walter Clayton Jr.: 20 points off the bench
• Cooper Flagg: 17 points, 3-of-19 FG, 11-of-11 FT, 6 assists
• Morez Johnson Jr.: 13 points
• P.J. Washington: 12 points

A tough shooting night for Cooper Flagg

Cooper Flagg played 40 minutes but made only 3 of his 19 shots and missed all four of his 3-point tries. The AP noted he still made all 11 of his free throws to finish with 17 points.

Dallas was also without Kyrie Irving, who sat out to rest his left knee, the AP reported.

What’s next for the Kings and Mavs

• Kings: host the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night.
• Mavericks: visit the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night.

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