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The Dallas Mavericks (4-2) will look to extend the first winning streak of the 2026-27 season on Monday when they host the Sacramento Kings (0-6), who are searching for any semblance of balance or defensive identity, at American Airlines Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
The Mavericks have won three in a row, including impressive showings against the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets, which have fans wondering whether the fifth-youngest team in the NBA, which came into Dusty May’s first year as head coach with so many questions, might actually be good. I mean, what happens if the Mavs are actually good? Is that allowed?
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Monday’s matchup against Sacramento offers the Mavericks an opportunity to do one of the things that good teams do: beat a bad team. Take care of business. My, how the mindset shifts when the first few things start going right.
Here are three things the Mavericks will have to account for to get a win over a struggling Kings bunch.
Fresh air vs. stale stink
In six short games, the Mavs have become one of the pleasant surprises of the early part of the 2026-27 season. The league is officially taking notice after the team’s 116-111 win over the Houston Rockets on Friday. Cooper Flagg is one of the most likable young, budding stars in the NBA. Irving’s return after missing the entire 2025-26 season while recovering from a mangled ACL is endearing.
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Meanwhile, the Kings find themselves on the business end of a brutal 0-6 start in a year when the league’s worst record will no longer be rewarded with the most lottery balls in the 2027 Draft lottery. Including Monday’s game at Dallas, their next seven don’t provide many opportunities to get off the proverbial schneid, either. Sacramento has matchups the Los Angeles Lakers, the San Antonio Spurs, the Portland Trail Blazers and the Oklahoma City Thunder mixed in after the date in Dallas. They are staring 2-11 in the eye. Third-year head coach Doug Christie is a cumulative 49-90 since taking over for Mike Brown, who presided over the short-lived “Light the Beam” era of Kings basketball.
This year’s team has yet to hold…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/3-thoughts-mavericks-seek-extend-035900532.html
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Publish date : 2026-11-02 03:59:00
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