Mavs look to snap five game skid vs Kings

Saturday will be the first of two meetings between the Mavs and the Kings this month. Both teams have been having a rough time as of late. The Kings have gone 4-11 since the beginning of the year. The Mavs have played just as badly, going 3-11 since the year began, including a five-game losing streak. Their losing streak was pushed to five games after a blowout loss to a just as bad Suns team.

Sacramento owns the series lead 1-0 this season. Dallas lost the second game of the season to the Kings 88-93. Rookie point guard and All-Star Slam Dunk Contest invitee Dennis Smith Jr. did not play in that game. His rookie counterpart De’Aaron Fox did and he finished with a near triple-double of 9 points, 10 assists, and 6 rebounds.

For the season De’Aaron Fox is averaging 11.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in 27 minutes. DSJ is averaging 14.8 points, 4.8 assists, and 3.9 rebounds in 29 minutes. DSJ has found a groove over his last the last 16 games, scoring in double figures in all of them including 11 games with 15 or more points.

Look for Wesley Matthews to rebound after an ice cold performance against the Suns. Matthews missed all nine of his three-point attempts and shot 2 for 17 overall. His shooting was indicative of the Mavs shooting at the beginning of the last game as well. Dallas only made seven shots in the first quarter in Phoenix and found themselves down by double digits.

The Mavericks must come out and hit their shots. They had a ton of great looks against Phoenix but just couldn’t hit them, causing them to fall behind early. Dallas has cannot get down early and try to come back against the Kings. Although they have mounted comebacks in almost every game they have lost during the losing streak, it has been too much for the team to overcome. If the Mavs hit their shots, limit their turnovers, and at least keep up in the rebounding category, Mavs fans should see a close game that hopefully ends with a much-needed win.

Dallas and Sacramento face off in Sacramento at 9:00 p.m. CST on Fox Sports Southwest.