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Cooper Flagg’s second-half surge not enough as Mavs’ struggles continue vs. lowly Kings
SACRAMENTO — For a moment, it appeared as if the Mavericks would ride Cooper Flagg’s explosive third quarter to a miraculous comeback win over the Sacramento Kings.
Momentum shifted in their favor thanks to a trio of 3-pointers by the Mavericks rookie, but Sacramento weathered the storm and ended the period with a 17-9 run to get back into the driver’s seat.
It was just enough for the Kings, who entered with the worst record in the Western Conference, to maintain enough separation to hand the Mavericks a 113-107 loss Saturday evening.
After trailing by as many as 18, the Mavericks cut the deficit to five after Flagg connected on a floater with 1:49 left. However, Dallas allowed Dylan Cardwell to score an easy layup on the other side of the court, which ended any chance of a comeback.
The Mavericks ended the Kings’ season the last time they were at Golden 1 Center in April, when they eliminated Sacramento from the play-in tournament. The stakes weren’t nearly as high, but the crowd fed off of their energy and cheered for every positive play made by the home team.
The Mavericks didn’t have their 3-point shooting struggles on Saturday. They connected on 13 of 26, a significant improvement from their 4-of-14 night in Thursday’s loss to the Warriors. Turnovers were rooted in this loss. The Mavericks coughed the ball up 19 times, which led to 28 points for the Kings.
“We just didn’t come out with great energy,” Flagg said. “Our starter guys gotta be better with that, getting us off to a great start, me included. Obviously, I had a terrible first half. But not a lot of energy for us. We gotta be better coming out ready to play. I think that’s a big part of it.”
Flagg’s third quarter was nearly perfect, but his first half was a reason why Dallas found itself stuck in a double-digit hole. He had four of his five turnovers before halftime and scored just four points without making a field goal.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said his message to not just Flagg, but to the entire team that the schedule was no excuse for the lack of effort and attention to detail to start the game. Flagg said the halftime break gave him an opportunity to refocus his mind.
“Just resetting,” Flagg said. “Knowing I just gotta be a lot better and reflecting. Thinking about the way they were guarding certain actions and what I can do to get better. Sometimes, all it takes is somebody saying something or kind of having like a mental reset.”
Dallas built some momentum late in the game, but the final turnover of the game was an offensive foul by PJ Washington with 41.7 seconds left in a situation when the Mavericks could’ve cut the deficit to two or three points. Kidd challenged the call, but was unsuccessful. The officials deemed Washington used his off arm to push DeMar DeRozan.
Washington had 17 points, five rebounds and four blocks, which tied a season-high.
Before the game, Kidd discussed the legacy of Sacramento Kings point guard Russell Westbrook, who could one day find himself in the Hall of Fame.
“Filling up the stat sheet at the age 37, it’s incredible what he’s doing,” Kidd said.
Westbrook was one of the main reasons why the Kings were able to hand the Mavericks their latest loss. The veteran point guard had his fingerprints on every part of the floor, finishing with 21 points, five rebounds and nine assists. Keon Ellis added 21 points on 5 of 10 from beyond the arc. Maxime Raynaud added 19 points and six rebounds.
Saturday marked the Mavericks’ latest test without Anthony Davis, who missed the game with right adductor soreness. Davis played just 10 minutes on Christmas Day before leaving the game in the second quarter. Dallas is now 4-13 this season without Davis in the lineup.
“Hopefully it’s not long,” Kidd said. “He’s doing better, but we’ll see here in the next couple days of how long he’ll be out.”
Without Davis, Kidd re-inserted Daniel Gafford into the starting lineup, alongside Flagg, Ryan Nembhard, Washington and Max Christie. Naji Marshall, who started the last 12 games, returned to the second unit.
However, with the Mavericks in a 15-point hole at halftime, Kidd started the second half with Marshall instead of Nembhard. Flagg moved to the point guard position, leading to his best shooting quarter of the season.
Kidd was asked about the decision to change his lineup following halftime, citing the group gave the Mavericks an opportunity to get back into the game.
Flagg scored 15 of his 23 points in the third quarter, which was the most points he’s recorded in a quarter this season. He made five of his six shot attempts, all three of his attempts from beyond the arc and both free throws.
“He did not get off to a good start and it happens in this league,” Kidd said. “For a young man like himself, there’s a second half to be played and he got going there. [He had] turnovers early on, but he made the adjustment at halftime and put us a position to get back into the game.”
The Mavericks will return to Sacramento for a rematch on Jan. 6, but they’ll look to rebound first on Monday in Portland in their final game of the calendar year.
X: @MikeACurtis2
Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
For a moment, it looked like FC Dallas was on its way to another statement win at home tonight.
Petar Musa scored two first half goals, to extend his Golden Boot leading tally to nine goals. But after Dallas grabbed control, the Galaxy found a way back before halftime with goals from Lucas Sanabria and Joseph Paintsil.
The second half brought more chances and more frustration for Dallas, which finished the night with 13 shots to LA’s nine. In the end, the point stretched Dallas’ unbeaten run to five games, though just like last week, it felt like another match where Dallas left points on the table.
Key Moments
7’ – GOAL! After a poor pass back by a LA defender, Petar Musa was free to go one-on-one with the LA goalkeeper. After a touch to get ahead of a defender, Musa slotted home his eighth goal of the season from outside the penalty box.
21’ – Offside! Joaquin Valiente sent a floating ball over the Galaxy defense, where Musa was able to get behind the defense and make an easy play for what appeared to be his second goal of the night. The play was called offside despite a fairly lengthy review period.
38’ – GOAL! This one counts! Musa gets his second of the night off a great ball from Chris Cappis. Logan Farrington picked off the ball in the midfield. He then played Cappis wide to the left of the penalty area. Cappis immediately played a ball back across the goal for Musa to slide in and finish for his ninth of the season.
43’ – Goal LA. Lucas Sanabria got the ball near the top of the penalty area. He took a couple of touches to get outside the penalty box before firing a shot that beat Michael Collodi at the near post.
45+4’ – Goal LA. Gabriel Pec got the ball near the top of the penalty area. He pulled the ball back a bit, which caught a pair of Dallas defenders. This allowed Joseph Painstil to get free behind the Dallas defense as Pec played him through inside the penalty area. Pec immediately smashed home a shot above Collodi to tie the game.
75’ – Another offside goal. This time on a corner kick for Dallas, after a scrum in the penalty box, Kaick hammered home what looked to be the go-ahead goal. But after a few seconds the flag was raised due to a deflection on Osaze Urhoghide, who was in an offside position.
Instant Reaction
Yeah, this is another disappointing result for this team. In a real way, it felt like the first half against Houston from last month. Dallas grabbed the lead, looked in control, but some defensive miscues opened the game up for the visitors to climb back.
With a double-game week coming up, this will certainly be another game where Dallas will wonder ‘what if’ more than anything else…especially when you factor in the two goals called off for offside.
About the Subs
Eric Quill went to his bench for the first time in the 66th minute, as he brought on Santiago Moreno for Logan Farrington. Quill went to his bench again 81st minute with Ran Binyamin and Nolan Norris coming on for Sebastien Ibeagha and Deedson. The final sub came during stoppage time with Herman Johansson and Joaquin Valiente coming off for Sam Sarver and rookie Nick Simmonds, who made his MLS debut.
Man of the Match
No question about it tonight, it has to be Musa.
Where does this fit into the season
As of this writing, the draw puts Dallas into a three-way tie for 5th place with Real Salt Lake and Seattle. Both are in action right now and look firmly in control of their games. I’d expect Dallas to be in 7th place by the end of the night.
What’s next for FC Dallas
Dallas wraps up a three-game homestand next Wednesday night as they host Minnesota United.
Dallas, TX
Akheem Mesidor selected by Cowboys by Blogging The Boys in SB Nation’s community mock draft
Akheem Mesidor, Edge, Miami
Pass rush has been an issue since the Micah Parsons trade. The Rashan Gary trade helped, but Dallas still needs an injection of talent. Akheem Mesidor fits here because his body size allows for some versatility inside and out, something DC Christian Parker utilizes. Mesidor is also a high-motor player with a deep bag of pass rush moves.
His last season at Miami was full of disruption in the offensive backfield and he shows an all-around game, not just a bend-around-the-edge pass rusher. Yes, he’s a little older than you’d like in a rookie (25), but his motor, pass rush toolbox, and ability to play the run matches up with a need and makes him a quality pick at number 20.
The City of Dallas Office of Community Police Oversight is hosting a Public Safety Response Symposium to connect residents with public safety leaders. Here’s how to participate on May 9.
The Dallas Police Department posted to social media about the event on Friday afternoon. The post states, “Join public safety leaders for an inside look at how emergency and non-emergency calls are handled and how resources are deployed across Dallas.”
The symposium will be held at the Briscoe Carpenter Livestock Center, 1403 Washington St., fro 11 a.m.-noon on May 9. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. Light breakfast and refreshments will be provided.
Topics for the symposium include:
- How 911 calls are handled and dispatched
- How DPD uses specialized units and technology to improve response times
- When to use 311 for non-emergency services
- How crisis and behavioral health teams collaborate through alternative response strategies
There will also be a community Q&A forum where residents can engage directly with public safety leaders. Moderation will be provided.
Dallas Police Chief Daniel C. Comeaux will offer the opening remarks. Featured speakers include 911 Communications Center Assistant Director Robert Uribe; Major of Police Anthony Greer; 311 Senior Outreach Specialist Stephen Walker; and Emergency Management & Crisis Response Director Kevin Oden.
When it comes to parking: Enter through Gate 2 and drive straight to the Pan Am Gate, and continue to the Briscoe Center (located on the left).
RSVP for the Public Safety Response Symposium here.
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