Takeaways from Sacramento’s first win of the season

The Sacramento Kings finally have their first win of the season–and the beam is lit.

Sacramento beat the Dallas Mavericks 115-100 on Monday night, snapping a six-game losing streak and avoiding a 0-7 start that would have tied the worst start to a season in franchise history.

“What a difference just one notch in the win column makes,” Matt George said on Sactown Sports’ The Matt George Podcast, where he and Brenden Nunes recapped the road win.

“It feels like a weight off of our shoulders,” George added, describing the relief even as an observer. “I can’t imagine how good it feels for them in Dallas tonight.”

Darius Acuff Jr. scored 25 points, with six assists and five rebounds, while Malik Monk added a season-high 24 points and seven assists.

Acuff’s night improved after halftime: George noted the rookie “did not have a great first half” but had “a really, really good second half.” The standout guard shot 10-for-21 from the field and helped the Kings maintain control when Dallas began doubling him late, scoring 19 of his points in the second half.

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That pressure created opportunities for Monk, who shot 9-for-14, made five threes and played 30 minutes. George called him “huge,” pointing to his scoring and playmaking.

When Dallas sent extra defenders at Acuff, George said, “you get a pass to Malik,” who could make decisions with an advantage. Nunes called Monk “such a crucial piece” because his playmaking creates good looks for the rest of the team.

Sacramento’s three-point shooting was a difference-maker: the Kings hit 19 of 43 attempts, or 44.2%.

Zach LaVine scored 23 with five threes, while the bench chipped in 46 points. Leaky Black had 12 points and four steals; rookie Emanuel Sharp added nine.

George praised Black’s defense on Cooper Flagg and said Sharp showed “no fear” on a difficult fourth-quarter three.

The defense offered another reason for optimism. Dallas scored 100 points after averaging 128 against Sacramento’s defense to start the season.

Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks drives around Domantas Sabonis #11 of the Sacramento Kings during the first half at American Airlines Center on November 02, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

The Mavericks shot 41% from the field and 21.2% from three, though they went 29-for-35 at the line. Nunes credited the Kings’ “physicality” and cleaner rotations, while acknowledging they still need to cut down on fouls.

George said the team had been “screaming from the rooftops” about generating more threes, and Monday’s volume paid off. Nunes highlighted the bench, which let the starters rest rather than carry the workload alone.

One win won’t fix the season. But after six straight losses, Sacramento heads home with a win to build on, and a chance to carry the improved shooting, physical defense, and bench production into its next game on Wednesday vs. the Los Angeles Lakers.

Listen to all episodes of The Matt George Podcast wherever you get your podcasts, and watch each episode on SactownSports.com, the Sactown Sports app, or the Sactown Sports YouTube page.

More Sacramento Kings content from Sactown Sports

• There is no drama between Darius Acuff Jr. & Domantas Sabonis
• Jerry Reynolds questions the Kings’ heavy starter minutes
• Sam Amick shares his intel on Doug Christie’s job security with the Kings
• Why the Sacramento Kings should give Darius Acuff Jr. room to grow

Sacramento Kings 2026-27 Regular Season Schedule

• Wednesday, November 4th vs. Los Angeles Lakers (7:00 P.M. PT)
• Friday, November 6th vs. San Antonio Spurs (7:00 P.M. PT)
• Sunday, November 8th vs. Miami Heat (6:00 P.M. PT)
• Tuesday, November 10th vs. Orlando Magic (7:00 P.M. PT)
• Friday, November 13th vs. Portland Trail Blazers (7:00 P.M. PT)

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