Game time: 5:30 p.m. PDT
Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX.
Broadcast Information: KHTK Sports 1140 (Radio), Comcast SportsNet California (Local Television)
Sacramento Kings Probable Starters (5-2)
PG: Ramon Sessions
SG: Ben McLemore
SF: Rudy Gay
PF: Jason Thompson
C: DeMarcus Cousins
Dallas Mavericks Probable Starters (4-3)
PG: Jameer Nelson
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Chandler Parsons
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Tyson Chandler
Three things to ponder
1. Stretching out
Jason Thompson will have to step out of his comfort zone covering Dirk Nowitzki. The 6-foot-11 Thompson matches up well physically with the future Hall of Famer, but the Maverick is driving less and shooting jumpers at a higher clip than ever (career-low 12.1 percent of field goal attempts within 10 feet), so the Kings big man must stay home and resist biting on pump fakes.
2. The other guys
From Jerome James to Mario Chalmers, Kings fans have grown accustomed to watching opponents’ role players light up the scoreboard. The latest example: Kendrick Perkins and Sebastian Telfair came out of nowhere to spark the Oklahoma City Thunder Sunday. Dallas boasts a bevy of fully capable complementary pieces (Jay Crowder, Devin Harris, Brandan Wright, etc.) who may have circled this match on their calendar.
3. Can the Kings bounce back?
While the Kings front office has assembled talented rosters in recent seasons, the team’s struggles are most often mental. Coming off a loss to one of the worst clubs in the NBA this season, where Sacramento committed two absent-minded technicals, the still-maturing Kings will have to outwit and out-hustle a battle-tested veteran Dallas squad to avoid dropping two games in a row.
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