Dallas is 4-2, the seventh seed, and has won three straight heading into Monday's home game against a Sacramento team that has lost all six of its games. The Kings' net rating is -17.8 against Dallas's 2.9, and both numbers come from six games.
Why Monday looks lopsided
Sacramento scores 104.8 and gives up 122.6 on defense, and it arrives on the fourth game of a road stretch. Domantas Sabonis grabs 15.8 rebounds a night, Darius Acuff Jr. scores 26.3 and Zach LaVine 23.5, but Ben Simmons, Keegan Murray, Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell are all listed out. Dallas has had two days of rest. Six games is a small sample, yet a 0-6 start with that gap in defense is not noise Dallas should ignore.
The stars set the tone
Kyrie Irving scored 35 and Cooper Flagg 33 in the 116-111 win over Houston. Flagg averages 26.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.6 assists over five games this season, and Irving 21.4 points with 39.0 percent from three over the same five. Shot quality is the point: Dallas's offensive rating of 114.1 comes from those two creating, while P.J. Washington shoots 30.6 percent from deep and has room to climb.
Who is actually available
Santi Aldama, Lively and Tarik Biberovic carry estimated returns of Monday, and Sergio de Larrea is pegged for Tuesday's game at the Spurs. By our count Dallas has 56 minutes out today and 888 since opening night, fourth most among the 30 clubs. Moussa Cisse has stepped in, playing 26.0 minutes a night over the last five games. After Sacramento come the Spurs, the Jazz in the Cup and the Nets. The question is whether three of those four are back before the schedule stiffens.
When do the Mavericks play the Kings?
Dallas hosts Sacramento on November 2. The Kings are 0-6 and the Mavericks are 4-2 on a three-game winning streak.
Who is injured for the Mavericks and Kings?
Dallas lists Aldama, Lively and Biberovic with estimated returns of November 2, and de Larrea for November 4. Sacramento has Simmons, Murray, Raynaud and Cardwell out.
