Mavericks at Kings
The Sacramento Kings appear to be on the verge of adding Rudy Gay to the roster as they prepare to host the Dallas Mavericks on Monday. Published reports circulated Sunday night with word that the Toronto Raptors had agreed to deal Gay and two other players to the Kings for a package of four players that include point guard Greivis Vasquez and forward John Salmons. Sacramento had lost six straight games before beating Utah on Saturday.
Dallas has won three consecutive games, including a memorable 108-106 road victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday. Guard Monta Ellis drained the game-winning 21-footer as time expired as the Mavericks improved to 2-0 on the four-game road trip. Dirk Nowitzki (28 points) and Ellis (22) combined for 50 points in the dramatic win as they continue to complement one another since the Mavericks added Ellis in the offseason.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Dallas), CSN California (Sacramento)
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (13-8): DeJuan Blair has started the last two games and has provided a solid inside boost. Blair had 15 points and eight rebounds in the victory over the Trail Blazers and is 12-of-19 from the field in the consecutive starts. Blair has reached double digits on the boards five times, including a season-high 18 in a recent loss to the Atlanta Hawks. He is averaging nine points and 7.6 rebounds.
ABOUT THE KINGS (5-13): Sacramento was looking to shake up a sagging squad and is hoping Gay will pump some life into the attack. Gay is averaging 19.4 points but also is prone to taking low-percentage shots – he’s shooting just 38.8 percent – and it remains to be seen how me meshes with mercurial center DeMarcus Cousins. Including Vasquez in the deal opens the way for third-year guard Isaiah Thomas to run the offense. Thomas is averaging 17.8 points and 4.9 assists and is more athletic than Vasquez but not as sharp a passer.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Dallas swept all four meetings last season and has won 15 of its last 16 encounters against the Kings.
2. Nowitzki has strung together four straight 20-point outings and is averaging 24.3 points during the stretch.
3. Sacramento will also receive frontcourt players Aaron Gray and Quincy Acy from Toronto, while including forwards Patrick Patterson and Chuck Hayes in the deal.