3 Takeaways From Mavericks' Short-Handed Loss to Kings

Season-highs from PJ Washington and Spencer Dinwiddie made it interesting for three quarters

Dec 30, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox (5) dribbles against Dallas Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy (1) during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks entered Monday's game against the reeling Sacramento Kings down four starters, as Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, and Dereck Lively II all missed the game. With Sacramento looking to break a six-game losing streak, they had the talent advantage, the motivation, and a deeper roster. So, it should've been easy going for the Kings, right?

It wasn't early, as Spencer Dinwiddie and P.J. Washington were red-hot in the first quarter, with the Mavericks leading by as much as 18. Sacramento stormed back to make it interesting, but the Mavericks still led at halftime. Unfortunately, that all went out the window in the second half.

The Kings outscored the Mavericks 54-40 in the second half as the Mavericks shot just 14/34 in the half compared to 20/46 from the Kings. While the percentages are similar, the shot difference was absurd. Dallas put up a good fight for three quarters, but they simply didn't have enough offense to come away with a win.

READ MORE: Short-Handed Mavericks Fall Apart in Second Half Against Kings, Drop 110-100

1. Dominated in the Paint

Dallas was flat-out killed in the paint on Monday night, as the Kings outscored the Mavs 48-34 in the paint, grabbed 18 offensive rebounds to Dallas' two, and had 17 second-chance points to Dallas' two. A lot of that has to do with Dereck Lively missing the game, but it shouldn't be THIS big of a difference.

2. Lack of Offensive Creation Leads to Jaden Hardy Questions

Spencer Dinwiddie and PJ Washington put up season-highs in scoring, but Dallas' offense looked lackluster for most of the game, and they could've used help from Jaden Hardy, who was in the starting lineup. Instead, Hardy had just eight points and no assists on 3/7 shooting. Dallas needs a consistent combo guard off the bench, and while they'd like it to be Dinwiddie or Hardy, the Mavericks could use an upgrade from Hardy, at the very least. They signed him to a contract extension before the season, which may limit his suitors, but for a team contending for a championship, he either needs to be better or they need to find a better player in the trade market.

3. Brandon Williams Played 19 Minutes

Dallas' depth was so depleted that Brandon Williams, on a two-way contract, played 19 minutes in this game, scoring 10 points. That was his sixth appearance of the season for the Mavericks, as he's spent most of his time in the G-League. So, we can't over-analyze a game too much when a two-way guy is playing 19 minutes.

READ MORE: Kyrie Irving Loses Conference Player of the Week to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

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