Dallas held an 18-point advantage in the first quarter before the Kings narrowed the gap to 60-56 by halftime.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — De’Aaron Fox tallied 33 points, and the Sacramento Kings defeated the undermanned Dallas Mavericks 110-100 on Monday night, securing Doug Christie his inaugural victory as the interim head coach after the Kings dismissed Mike Brown last week.
The Kings closed the third quarter with a 17-2 surge, seizing an 83-77 lead. Sacramento then opened the fourth quarter with an 11-4 run, pushing the lead into double figures with a 3-pointer by Trey Lyles.
Lyles contributed 14 points off the bench. DeMar DeRozan also added 14 points, while Domantas Sabonis recorded 17 points and 17 assists.
Dallas had built an 18-point cushion in the opening quarter before Sacramento trimmed the lead to four by halftime.
The Mavericks were missing Kyrie Irving (shoulder), Klay Thompson (illness), Dereck Lively II (hip), and Naji Marshall (suspension), along with Luka Doncic, who is sidelined for at least a month due to a calf strain.
Spencer Dinwiddie and PJ Washington delivered season-best performances for the Mavericks. Dinwiddie scored 30 points, and Washington added 28.
Mavericks: Despite missing their top three scorers, the Mavericks remained competitive until the final quarter.
Kings: Sacramento ended a six-game losing streak, overcoming an 18-point first-quarter deficit and early disapproval from the home crowd to earn a much-needed win.
Trailing by nine in the third quarter, the Kings rallied from what had been a lackluster showing. They grabbed four offensive rebounds during one sequence, culminating in Sabonis’ tip-in to cut the deficit to 75-74 and energize the fans.
After allowing the Lakers to shoot 60% from the field on Saturday, Sacramento limited the Mavericks to just 40 points in the second half.
Both teams return to action on Wednesday, with the Kings hosting the Sixers and the Mavericks traveling to face the Rockets.
