NBA: Mavericks, Kings look to improve form as season midway point nears

The Dallas Mavericks aim to snap a seven-game road losing streak when they visit the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night.

One of those losses came in Sacramento on Dec. 27, when Dallas fell 113-107 to the Kings. The Mavericks are now 3-12 on the road this season.

Dallas ended a four-game overall skid with a 110-104 home victory over the Houston Rockets on Saturday. Anthony Davis led the way with 26 points and 12 rebounds, while Max Christie added 24 points on 10-of-13 shooting.

“We came out with good energy, great intensity, and it feels good to get the win,” Davis said after the game.

The Mavericks sit 10 games below .500, with the midway point of the season just five games away. Dallas is currently outside the Western Conference play-in spots, as the Los Angeles Clippers climb the standings right behind them.

A growing concern for Dallas is the recent form of rookie Cooper Flagg. Flagg scored 20 or more points in seven of eight games from Dec. 12-27, but his production has since dropped. In the past three games, he has averaged 12.3 points on 14-of-47 (29.8%) shooting, including 1 of 10 from beyond the arc.

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said Flagg might be hitting the so-called rookie wall.

“You got to embrace it. That's just a mental thing,” Kidd said. “For the great ones, they touch it. They don't run from it. They find a way to go over it, through it, or around it. It's not going to move. Understanding that, embrace it… he's responded in a positive way and he's going to find a way to get off the rookie wall.”

Flagg led Dallas with 23 points in their previous loss in Sacramento. Russell Westbrook and Keon Ellis each scored 21 points for the Kings, who have won the last four meetings against Dallas.

However, Sacramento has struggled since that win, losing five straight games and holding the third-worst record in the NBA. The Kings have dropped those games by an average of 24.6 points, including a 41-point loss to the Clippers on Dec. 30.

The Kings fell 115-98 to the visiting Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday, trailing by as many as 26 points. Westbrook, who scored a team-high 21 points, saw positives despite the loss.

“We showed the standards we are supposed to play with,” Westbrook said. “You see the difference in what it's supposed to look like. We've got to do that night in and night out. Proud of how we responded, but unfortunately, we didn't come out with the win.”

Zach LaVine returned from a nine-game absence with a sprained left ankle to score 20 points in 36 minutes off the bench against Milwaukee. Keegan Murray exited in the third quarter with a left ankle sprain and will miss Tuesday’s game. Keon Ellis left the game early with a left thumb issue but is expected to play.

—Field Level Media/Reuters