Sacramento Kings star DeMar DeRozan addressed his team’s 100-98 defeat to the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday at Golden 1 Center. “Just got to be better with execution… understanding what we could take advantage of,” he said, pointing to spacing and timing as key issues in late-game offense.
On the team’s fourth-quarter performance, DeRozan added, “We don’t give ourselves consistently chances to get good shots off… just got to give ourselves a better chance, get a shot off, make something happen.” He noted that relying on isolation plays becomes necessary when initial sets fail.
Discussing the final possessions, DeRozan said, “We gave ourselves a chance… they hit a big shot, we reacted off, trying to clog the paint… and a young fella hit a big shot for him,” acknowledging Brandon Williams’ go-ahead three-pointer in the closing seconds.
DeRozan also praised the growth of Sacramento’s young players. “It’s great… Max going out there competing with a Hall of Fame big, that’s the best way to learn… all those guys that get opportunity to play, it’s definitely going to pay off for them,” he said.
The Kings remained competitive despite missing forward Keegan Murray. Zach LaVine returned from a nine-game absence to score 20 points, while Maxime Reynaud added 14. Dennis Schroder and Russell Westbrook also had late attempts that could have shifted the outcome.
Dallas overcame a 12-point halftime deficit, outscoring Sacramento by 14 in the second half. Cooper Flagg led the Mavericks with 20 points, and Anthony Davis contributed 19 points and 16 rebounds. Brandon Williams’ clutch three-pointer and free throws sealed the 100-98 victory.
Dallas shot 41% overall, hitting 30% from three-point range, while the Kings finished 42% from the field and 29% from beyond the arc. Daniel Gafford’s seven offensive rebounds were part of Dallas’ 15 total on the glass.
Sacramento falls to 8-29 and will visit Golden State on Friday, while Dallas improves to 14-23 and hosts Utah on Thursday.
