Kings at Mavericks
The Sacramento Kings are hoping to prove they’re for real on their current road trip, and so far the results have been mixed. The Kings will try to bounce back from a loss when they visit the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday. Sacramento began its four-game trip with a double-overtime victory at Phoenix before falling at Oklahoma City and will close out at Memphis on Thursday before heading home to entertain San Antonio.
The Mavericks have won 20 straight home games over the Kings and are looking to bounce back as well after beginning their four-game homestand with a 105-96 loss to Miami on Sunday. “I’m concerned about how we’re competing as a team,” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle told reporters. “We just have a problem right now from top to bottom with consistency. When our level of competitiveness comes up to where it should be on a consistent basis, a lot of our problems will dissipate.” Competing for rebounds could be a key, as the Kings enter with the top rebounding averaging in the NBA at 47.4.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, CSN California (Sacramento), FSN Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE KINGS (5-2): That rebounding number has a lot to do with center DeMarcus Cousins, who averaged 12 boards during the five-game winning streak but was limited to seven in 34 minutes while battling foul trouble in Sunday’s 101-93 setback. Foul trouble seems to be the only thing holding the 24-year-old back from becoming a consistent superstar, and he has racked up at least five personal fouls in five of Sacramento’s seven games while fouling out twice. Rudy Gay paced the team with 10 rebounds Sunday to pick up his first double-double of the season.
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (4-3): Cousins will have to deal with Dallas center Tyson Chandler, who went for 16 points and 15 rebounds Sunday but was still unhappy about the way the team played. “It’s very disappointing, because you never want it to be about competing,” Chandler told reporters. “That has to come from within. That has to come from within the locker room.” The Mavericks’ big problem in the first handful of games was a tendency to let down in the third quarter after building up big leads, and they were outscored 28-23 in the period by the Heat to mark the sixth time in seven games they have lost the quarter.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Mavericks F Dirk Nowitzki (26,930) needs 17 points to pass Hakeem Olajuwon for ninth place on the all-time NBA scoring list.
2. Sacramento G Ben McLemore has totaled 31 points on 11-of-19 shooting in the last two games.
3. Dallas F Chandler Parsons is 2-of-20 from the field in the last two games, including 0-of-8 from 3-point range.