Here is the latest news live from Sleep Train Arena:
- The Sacramento Kings (16-21) continued their Jekyll and Hyde routine on Sunday, dropping the Cleveland Cavaliers by a final of 103-84, after losing to Denver two nights earlier. Sacramento is looking for their first back-to-back win since November and tonight they draw a tough, veteran Dallas Mavericks (26-12) club. “These guys are a veteran group of guys, they’ve seen it all,” coach Tyrone Corbin said of tonight’s opponent. “They’ve been through it all. They’re working their way together with the additions they just added to the team.”
- Since the last time these two teams faced off, Dallas made a blockbuster trade, adding All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo to the mix. Since scoring 29 against his former team five games ago, Rondo has struggled on the offensive end, scoring just 3.5 on 7-for-37 (18.9 percent) shooting over the Mavericks’ last four games.
- While Rondo has struggled with his scoring, he has tallied 38 assists and just 10 turnovers over his last four starts, with seven of those errors coming in one game. “Their passing, they make you pay for any mistake on the defensive end,” Corbin said of what Rondo has brought to the Mavs. “If Rondo can get a pic-and-roll and get past the two guys, and get two guys above that ball, you get into a rotation against these guys and they make you pay. They pass the ball so well.”
- The last time these two teams met, Rudy Gay nearly dropped in a triple-double, finishing with 26 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in 39 minutes of action. “You just have to play the heck out of him,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “You have to make it tough for him to get into his sweet spots. He’s killed us. He’s killed us from the inside, from the outside and in transition. Parsons to start the game has a big job, but look, we’ve got to have a lot of help for him. He’s a load. He’s that good offensively.”
- Ramon Sessions (low back strain) and Omri Casspi (left knee) are out again tonight for Sacramento. Casspi is targeting a return to the court later this week, but speaking to Sessions on Sunday, there is no date scheduled for his return. The Mavericks have no injuries to report coming into tonight’s game.
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