SACRAMENTO, California — The Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings will battle for their postseason lives as they meet in the NBA Play-In Tournament today – April 16 – on ESPN. Tipoff from Golden 1 Center is at 10 p.m. Eastern (9 p.m. Central, 7 p.m. Pacific).
NBA fans who’ve cut the cord on cable can stream the game on Fubo (free trial), DirecTV Stream (free trial) or Sling (promotional offers).
It’s been a frustrating follow-up to a Finals run for the Mavericks (39–43), who enter the postseason as the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference. The team made headlines at the trade deadline by sending Luka Dončić to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis. The nine-time All-Star has appeared in just nine games since arriving in Dallas due to injury, though the Mavs are 6–3 when he plays, and he’s expected to be available against the Kings.
Dallas is also without Kyrie Irving (torn ACL), but playoff-tested vets like P.J. Washington (14.7 ppg) and Klay Thompson (14.0 ppg) offer valuable postseason experience that doesn’t always show up on the stat sheet.
The Kings (40–42), the No. 9 seed, have had their own share of ups and downs. Since Doug Christie took over head coaching duties from Mike Brown in late December, Sacramento has played above .500 basketball. Former Bulls stars Zach LaVine (22.4 ppg) and DeMar DeRozan (22.2 ppg) have boosted the offense, while All-Star center Domantas Sabonis continues to be a steady force, averaging a double-double with 19.1 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.
Sacramento swept the regular-season series against Dallas, 3–0, and enters as a 4.5-point favorite, according to oddsmakers.
The winner will move on to face the Memphis Grizzlies, with a first-round date against the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder on the line.
Here’s more information on how to watch Dallas Mavericks vs. Sacramento Kings:
- Who: Dallas Mavericks vs. Sacramento Kings: NBA Play-In Tournament
- When: Wednesday, April 16, 2025
- Time: 10 p.m. Eastern (9 p.m. Central, 7 p.m. Pacific)
- Where: Golden 1 Center | Sacramento, CA
- Channel: ESPN
- Best streaming options: Fubo (free trial), DirecTV Stream (free trial) or Sling (promotional offers)
Information from the AP was included in this report and AI might have been used to assist with this story.
