Sacramento won 115-100 at Dallas for its first win of 2026-27, with the second unit scoring 45 points. One win lifts the Kings to 14th, 2.5 games out of tenth, with a lot of ground still to cover.
Oct. 25 to 31
Six straight losses opened the season, five of them by double digits. The last two came on the road: 132-120 at New Orleans and 136-105 at Memphis. Through six games Sacramento allowed 122.6 points per 100 possessions, a net rating of minus-17.8. The rotation needed something, and on Monday the answer came off the bench.
Nov. 2, first half
The game stayed even early: 19-18 Kings after one, 54-53 at the half, and 17 lead changes over the night. Dallas had Kyrie Irving listed out. Cooper Flagg went 3 of 19 from the field with six turnovers, though he still reached 17 points on 11 free throws. Sacramento kept pace and then finished the half with the start of a 9-0 run.
Third quarter
That 9-0 run spanned the break and set up a 27-21 third quarter and an 81-74 lead. Zach LaVine, cleared on the injury report, scored 23 on 8-of-14 shooting with five threes. Darius Acuff Jr. had 25 points but needed 21 shots to get there and committed five turnovers. He finished +1 in 37 minutes.
Fourth quarter
Malik Monk made it a rout. He scored 10 of his 24 in the fourth, made 5 of 8 threes and finished +27 in 30 minutes. Dallas cut a 15-point deficit to seven with an 8-0 run, and the Kings answered by winning the quarter 34-26. Leaky Black added 12 points and four steals, and Emanuel Sharp went 3 for 3 from deep.
Now
Grades: Monk gets an A for the shooting and the +27. Precious Achiuwa gets a B-plus for 10 rebounds, two blocks and a +15. Domantas Sabonis gets a B-minus: 4 of 4 from the field, but four turnovers. De'Andre Hunter scored zero in 36 minutes. Sacramento is 14th, four games behind sixth and 2.5 behind tenth, and the 1-6 pace projects to 12-70.
Did the Kings win their first game of the 2026-27 season?
Yes. Sacramento beat the Mavericks 115-100 on Nov. 2 after six straight losses, and now sits at 1-6.
Who led the Kings in the win over Dallas?
Darius Acuff Jr. led the scoring with 25 points, followed by Malik Monk with 24 and Zach LaVine with 23. Monk was the biggest difference, at +27 in 30 minutes.
