After a brutal loss to Phoenix on Thursday the Mavs get to play in the comforts of their own home Sunday night against the Kings. Dallas hosts Sacramento while riding an 11 game winning streak on their home floor. This game has early season playoff implications. The Kings are currently in 9th place with a 15-13 record. Dallas is in 6th place with a 15-12 record. If the Mavs lose they will fall out of the playoff picture into the 9th place in the Western Conference. The West is crazy right now, with only two games separating the 5th and 14th spots. A win would help Dallas carry some momentum into their long stretch of road games. Here are some things to keep an eye on:

PG battle

De’Aaron Fox is having an awesome year. He is scoring 18 points, handing out almost 8 assists, and grabbing 4 rebounds per game this season, while shooting almost 50% from the field and 40% from three. He is taking over games and is a big, big reason why the Kings, of all teams, find themselves in the playoff picture. Like Dallas, the Kings have wins over playoff caliber teams such as the Thunder (twice), Jazz, and Pacers. Fox’s improvement is the driving force behind this teams early season success.

Dennis Smith Jr. isn’t exactly having the same breakout season that Fox is. Lately, DSJ has been hampered with a sprained wrist, that apparently cracks whenever he moves it. This season has also been another learning experience for DSJ, as he is getting comfortable playing off the ball more with the arrival of Luka Dončić. He struggled at the beginning and isn’t putting up the best numbers with 13 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. But he is improving his three point shooting, which is at 35% this year, and that will be vital to his success next to Luka. His defense has also gotten better, as the Mavericks need him to be bring an intensity on that end of the floor that we didn’t see last year. Coach Carlisle has even mentioned that DSJ defensive success is directly tied to the Mavericks success. DSJ will need to bring his A game on that end of the floor to contain Fox tonight.

Threes, please

The Kings own the league’s highest three point percentage this season. Sacramento is shooting 39% from the three point line. However, they only rank 25th in the league at three pointers attempted with only 29 per game. Dallas, under Coach Carlisle’s direction, has made it an emphasis to shoot more three pointers this year. The Mavs rank 15th in the league with 34 three point attempts per game. But they are only shooting 34% from three, weighed down by an ugly 5 for 33 shooting night against Phoenix on Thursday. That is good for 21st in the league. Dallas opponents are shooting 36% from three this year. Limiting the Kings success on the three point line will be a key part of tonight’s game for the Mavs, despite the limited attempts the Kings take from three point land.

Boards

Rebounding is a good indicator of who will come out victorious. Dallas and Sacramento are neck and neck when it comes to rebounding. The Kings average 10 offensive rebounds and 34 defensive rebounds per game, good for 18th and 23rd in the NBA respectively. The Mavericks average 10 offensive rebounds and 35 defensive rebounds, good for 18th (tied with Kings) and 22nd respectively. Both teams have identical rebounding numbers with almost identical records. Coincidence? I think not. Teams that rebound well have more opportunities to score points on the offensive end and take away point opportunities on the defensive end. My bet is that whoever wins the rebounding battle tonight will win the game. I’m looking at you, De’Andre Jordan.

And don’t forget that tonight marks Dirk’s home debut this season. Dallas takes on Sacramento at 6 PM on Fox Sports Southwest.