Sacramento limits Mavs’ offense, secure their first win

The Sacramento Kings had their best defensive performance yet, holding Dallas to 100 points en route to their first win of the season.

BY BRENDEN NUNES

Nov 2, 2026, 7:37 PM

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DALLAS, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 02: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks drives around Domantas Saboni...

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)

(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

The Sacramento Kings defense showed up in Dallas, holding the Mavericks to 41% from the field. Pair that with their best long-distance shooting night (19/43), and they secured their first win of the 2026-27 season, 115-100.

Leaky Black and Emanuel Sharp led the defense, helping keep Cooper Flagg to 3/19 shooting. Without Kyrie Irving available, limiting him allowed the Kings to hold a team under 120 points for the first time this season.

Malik Monk had his best game of the early season, scoring 10 of his 24 points in the fourth and logging seven assists. Darius Acuff (25 points, six assists, five rebounds) and Zach LaVine (23 points) also had impressive offensive nights.

It was a much-needed win for the Kings, who still have plenty of work to do to get this season back on track, but improving to 1-6 is a step in the right direction.

Sacramento Kings @ Dallas Mavericks Game Notes

Sacramento went with their usual starting unit of Darius Acuff, Zach LaVine, De’Andre Hunter, and Domantas Sabonis, while Dallas rolled out Cooper Flagg, Max Christie, Caleb Martin, P.J. Washington, and Daniel Gafford.

Both sides had a slow offensive start, but the Kings were playing at the pace they’ve emphasized since training camp. After allowing 120 points in every game this season, slowing the Mavericks’ offense early was good to see, but their own scoring struggled too.

Nique Clifford was the first substitution off the bench for head coach Doug Christie, an atypical early appearance for the second-year player alongside other starters. Rookie Emanuel Sharp came in right behind him.

The rooks link up for the triple 👊 https://t.co/ca7gNA6tHj

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 3, 2026

Turnovers hurt their early odds as six in the first quarter led to easy buckets for the opposition. Malik Monk, who had gotten off to a slow start this season, finally looked more like the player that once was a regular Sixth Man of the Year candidate. His chemistry with Sabonis showed as he helped set up the big man for easy looks rolling to the basket.

Leading 19-18 at the end of one, Sabonis had six points on 3/3 shooting. The Kings were 3/9 from three, while Dallas shot just 1/11 from deep and 5/20 from the field. Two-way forward Leaky Black got in on the action, his first real minutes this season, and his size and length proved useful against Flagg.

Gafford was the star of the second quarter, and the Mavericks began to feed the roller. The big man scored his team’s first 10 points of the frame, forcing Christie to call a timeout. But the Kings picked up their scoring output as well, with the second frame being vastly different than the first.

Turnovers still haunted the Kings, along with offensive rebounds and trips to the free-throw line. A 14-4 Dallas run gave them a 38-32 lead, but Sacramento quickly responded to tie it at 40 as Monk kept rolling.

He converted a triple with seconds left in the half to give the Kings a 54-53 lead headed into the break. Monk had 11 of Sacramento’s 21 bench points, plus five assists. As a team, they assisted on 15 of their 21 made field goals.

Malik Monk knocks in his third triple 💦 https://t.co/kMV3cw67bq

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 3, 2026

Nine Kings’ turnovers, plus Dallas adding eight offensive rebounds and 21 free-throw attempts, kept the game close. The third quarter was a consistent struggle for the Kings, but they started with an 8-2 advantage. Five of those came from Acuff, bringing him into double digits on the night.

Eleven of their first 14 attempts came from beyond the arc, a higher-volume distance attack than usual. Black was the first sub in the second half rather than Clifford, and helped add to that tally.

Two straight buckets from Acuff gave his side a 71-65 advantage with four minutes to play in the third, as the defense also made a strong impact. Headed into the final frame with an 81-74 lead, Flagg was just 3/16 from the field, converting all 10 of his free-throw attempts left him with 16 points. Dallas had a massive advantage from the line, going 24/30 compared to Sacramento’s 8/13.

But the Kings’ physical defense paid off as they held their opposition to 38% (23/60) from the field. A solid offensive start extended their lead to 15 (94-79), their largest of the night, with a Monk stepback triple that gave him 20 points for the first time this season.

It’s Malik Monk’s world 🔥 https://t.co/FzPeDOl1AL

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 3, 2026

The Mavericks responded with an 8-0 sprint, before Acuff forced his way to the line. Monk continued to score as well, playing alongside Acuff, LaVine, Hunter, and Sabonis as the game wound down.

Acuff took over late, scoring seven straight points to give the Kings a 106-91 lead and forcing the Mavericks to double him. Monk’s shooting and playmaking alongside him helped them secure their first win of the night, 115-100.

The Kings held the Mavericks to 41% (32/78) from the field. Pair that with their best long-distance shooting night (19/43) of the season, and it was enough to get the job done.

Black and Sharp led the defense, helping keep Cooper Flagg to 3/19 shooting. Without Irving available, limiting him allowed the Kings to hold a team under 120 points for the first time this season.

Monk had his best game of the early season, scoring 10 of his 24 points in the fourth and logging seven assists. Darius Acuff (25 points, six assists, five rebounds) and Zach LaVine (23 points) also had impressive offensive nights.

It was a much-needed win for the Kings, who still have plenty of work to do to get this season back on track, but improving to 1-6 is a step in the right direction.