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- What: NBA Play-In Tournament Game
- When: April 16, 2025
- Who: Dallas Mavericks vs. Sacramento Kings
- Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
- Where: Golden 1 Center (Sacramento, CA)
The Mavericks and Kings will face off in the Western Conference Play-In round at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Wednesday night.
The Mavericks, seeded 10th with a record of 39-43, are returning to the playoffs after a journey to the NBA Finals last season. Meanwhile, the 9th-seeded Kings (40-42) will have home-court advantage in this critical elimination game.
A year ago, the Dallas Mavericks were poised to dominate the Western Conference playoffs and advance to the NBA Finals.
However, after trading franchise star Luka Doncic and losing his backcourt partner Kyrie Irving for the remainder of the season, the Mavs are entering the playoffs in a more precarious position, looking to avoid elimination in the play-in round.
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The Mavericks finished their season with a record of 39-43, dropping six of their last ten games. In their upcoming matchup, they’ll be spearheaded by center Anthony Davis, who averaged close to 25 points and over 11 rebounds per game.
He was a key player in the trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers. After recovering from an abductor injury, Davis has only participated in nine games for the Mavs.
PJ Washington chipped in with almost 15 points and nearly eight rebounds per game, while veteran Klay Thompson contributed 14 points per game and was the team’s top 3-point shooter.
Game Preview (Mavericks vs. Kings)
This season, the Mavericks struggled against the Kings, finishing with an 0-3 record in their matchups, including a significant defeat in March.
| Spread |  |  |  |
| Dallas Mavs +4.5 Points | -106 | -105 | -110 |
| Sacramento Kings -4.5 Points | -114 | -115 | -110 |
The Kings have also parted ways with a longtime star, trading All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox in a three-team deal that brought them Zach LaVine from the Bulls.
LaVine posted an average of 22.4 points per game this season, just ahead of DeMar DeRozan. Domantas Sabonis has been a standout, leading the team in rebounds and assists while ranking third in scoring. The Kings ended the season with a 5-5 record over their final stretch.
While the loss of Malik Monk is notable for the Kings, they still possess ample offensive firepower to overcome a Mavericks team hampered by injuries. The Mavs have several players who are battling through health issues in this elimination game.
Flight 8️⃣ is boarding 🔜 pic.twitter.com/NsERWiDKRv
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) April 16, 2025
With Sabonis pushing Davis away from the basket, he can facilitate shots for LaVine and DeRozan, while the Kings focus on rebounding defensively to limit the Mavericks’ second-chance points.
Ultimately, the Mavericks may struggle to keep up in scoring and controlling the boards. I recommend taking the Kings to cover the -4.5 point spread in this one.
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Total Points
The Mavericks finished 15th in the NBA for points per game, ranking 10th in field goal shooting and 15th in 3-point shooting, but struggled with 3-pointers made, placing 25th.
| Total Points | | | |
| Over 215.5 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Under 215.5 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
Defensively, they ranked 20th in points allowed and 18th in both field goal and 3-point defense. Their scoring margin was 19th, turnover margin 9th, and rebounding 25th.
The Kings, on the other hand, were 10th in points per game and 12th in field goal shooting but finished 26th in 3-pointers made.
Defensively, they allowed the 19th most points and were last in 3-point defense. They also ranked 16th in scoring margin and 7th in rebounding.
Dante 🤝 Caleb pic.twitter.com/ijgYBDprPP
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) April 13, 2025
The key question for the Mavericks is where their points will come from, as Klay Thompson (14.0 PPG) and Anthony Davis (20.0 PPG) can only do so much.
While the Kings aren’t overly threatening defensively, they’ve limited opponents to under 102 points in their last two games.
With the stakes high, expect a slower-paced game focused on the defensive end of the court. I would take Under 215.5 Points at -110 odds as the best bet in this one.
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