Darius Acuff Jr. scored a game-high 25 points to lead the visiting Sacramento Kings to their first win of the season, a 115-100 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday.
Malik Monk scored 24 points off the bench and Zach LaVine finished with 23 points as the Kings (1-6) became the last NBA team to crack the W column this season. Sacramento’s Leaky Black added 12 points and four steals, and Precious Achiuwa pulled down 10 rebounds.
Daniel Gafford and Walter Clayton Jr. scored 20 points apiece to lead Dallas, which had a three-game winning streak snapped. Cooper Flagg scored 17 points but made only 3 of 19 field-goal attempts. Flagg sank 11 of his free-throw attempts. Morez Johnson Jr. added 13 points, and P.J. Washington produced 12 points.
The Mavericks played without Kyrie Irving (left knee injury management), who is averaging 21.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game this season.
The Kings shot 44.2% (19 of 43) from 3-point range. Dallas made 21.2% (7 of 33) from beyond the arc.
Up by one at halftime, Sacramento opened the third quarter with an 8-2 run. LaVine and Acuff started the rally with consecutive 3-pointers before Flagg answered with a jumper. Acuff’s high-arcing floater gave the Kings a 62-55 lead.
Acuff capped a 7-0 rally with back-to-back baskets, giving Sacramento a 71-65 lead with 4:09 left in the third.
Late in the period, LaVine’s reverse layup through traffic extended Sacramento’s lead to 81-74. Moments later, LaVine stripped Flagg on a drive to the basket.
Sacramento took an 86-75 lead early in the fourth quarter when Emanuel Sharp turned a steal into a pull-up 3-pointer from the wing in transition. Monk drained a trey following a timeout, giving the Kings a 94-79 lead with 8:02 to play.
Acuff scored seven consecutive Sacramento points, capped by a 3-pointer from the top of the key that gave the Kings a 106-91 lead.
Earlier, Domantas Sabonis closed the first quarter with a layup, giving the Kings a 19-18 lead after the opening 12 minutes.
Dallas took a 53-51 lead on a Caleb Martin trey with 46 seconds left before halftime. However, Monk answered with a triple, sending Sacramento to the break with a 54-53 advantage.
