The Sacramento Kings are soon set to tip off a battle against the Dallas Mavericks, as the No. 9 seed and No. 10 seed in the Western Conference will determine who will live to see another game.
The winner advances to a second Play-In Tournament matchup against the No. 8-seeded Memphis Grizzlies.
The Kings are aiming to return to the postseason, despite having traded De’Aaron Fox — their franchise guard — at the deadline.
The Mavericks topped Sacramento, though, shipping Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Since Dallas made such an abysmal move, they’ve been a bad basketball team. An injury to Anthony Davis and an ACL tear for Kyrie Irving derailed an already ruined Mavericks season, too.
Feb 24, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine (8) and forward DeMar DeRozan (10) and forward Keegan Murray (13) walk up the court during the first quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Golden 1 Center.
© Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
While Davis was able to return before the season ended, helping the Mavericks to the No. 10 seed, his injury status is certainly something to keep an eye on.
The storied big man has a history of key injuries. Ahead of the Kings’ play-in matchup against the Mavericks, Davis was on the injury report as “probable.”
Mavericks make key Davis announcement
The superstar big man doesn’t get enough appreciation for what he’s accomplished in his career, and it doesn’t help that he was the second-best player, somehow, in a mid-season trade that shocked the league.
Still, his impact will be massive in the Play-In Tournament game, as the Mavericks announced he will be active after being on the injury report ahead of tip-off.
The Kings will have their hands full with the big man, as he will be the primary option for the Mavericks during the matchup.
In turn, Sacramento will lean on the trio of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis to will them to victory and ensure the offseason doesn’t come a game early.
