Anthony Davis powered the Dallas Mavericks with 27 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks as they rolled past the Sacramento Kings 120-106 in a Western Conference play-in game on Wednesday night in Sacramento.
Klay Thompson chipped in 23 points, P.J. Washington added 17 points and nine rebounds, while Brandon Williams came off the bench to score 17. The Mavericks now move on to face the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, with the winner grabbing the final playoff spot in the West and a matchup against the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.
Despite a strong 33-point showing from DeMar DeRozan and 20 points with nine assists from Zach LaVine, the Kings were unable to recover from a poor first half and were eliminated from playoff contention. Domantas Sabonis contributed 11 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists.
This was just Davis’s 10th appearance for Dallas since being traded from the Lakers, having battled an adductor injury. His performance, along with Thompson’s red-hot second quarter — where he shot a perfect 8-for-8, including four threes in just over three minutes — gave Dallas a dominant 71-48 halftime lead.
The Kings struggled with ball control, committing 18 turnovers and never mounting a serious comeback after trailing by 23 at the half. Devin Carter added 10 points off the bench for Sacramento, but it wasn’t enough to stop Dallas from advancing.