Mavs at Kings Preview: Will Luka Doncic Play and Join Kyrie Irving?

The Dallas Mavericks will try to finish their tough five-game road trip with a 4-1 record on Saturday night against the Sacramento Kings. It could also be the first game Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving suit up together.

On Friday night, the Dallas Mavericks achieved a wire-to-wire victory over the Sacramento Kings. In a back-to-back matchup, the Mavs look to finish the job by going 4-1 to end the road trip. MVP candidate Luka Doncic possibly returns Saturday after missing four games. 

The Mavs are listing Luka as "probable.''

Following the trade for Kyrie Irving, the departures of fan favorite Dorian Finney-Smith and reputation-rehabilitated Spencer Dinwiddie seemed like too much of a loss to completely fortify Mavs as title contenders.

However, indicative of the positive amount of off-ball cuts and the overall movement of the Mavs' offense, Irving, for now, is the much-needed change the roster needed to take that next step. What's more shocking is that Irving isn't forcing anything, despite having only been on the team for about five days now. Even without Doncic, the 2023 All-Star starter enables the team to exist with him, not because of him.  

Irving didn't attempt a shot until the 6:36 mark of the first quarter on Friday, yet the Mavs held a 17-11 advantage on the scoreboard. The team is playing as such, not standing around waiting for the ball, but going to it and manipulating chances to receive looks. 

If Doncic suits up against the Kings, there is no doubt the Mavs should terrorize the Kings' 24th-ranked defense. A double-team scheme would negatively affect Sacramento's already-negative defense, as the Kings struggled vs. the Mavs on Friday night in a 122-114 loss. 

FUN FACT: The Dallas Mavericks are averaging 34.8 first-quarter points in the last five games. Friday night saw the Irving-led Mavs flame the Kings for 45 points in the opening period second - the second-highest scoring first quarter mark in franchise history. 

RECORDS: Dallas Mavericks (31-26), Sacramento Kings (31-24)

WHEN: Saturday, February 11, 2023 - 9:00 p.m. CT

WHERE: Golden 1 Center, (Sacramento, CA)

TV: Bally Sports Southwest, League Pass

RADIO: 97.1 The Freak

ODDS: The Sacramento Kings are 1.5 favorites over the Dallas Mavericks. 

NEXT UP: The Mavs host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday, February 13, at 7:30 p.m. CT. 

FINAL WORD: As the anticipation builds for Doncic's return, Irving is now holding down the fort. When the two combine for a superstar duo, staggering of the two stars will provide the team with a shift in pace. Doncic plays at a slower speed, whereas Irving like to push in transition. If Jason Kidd can balance the attacks, opposing defenses will suffer.

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