Keon Ellis had a season-best 21 points, Russell Westbrook matched it with 21 of his own and the Sacramento Kings held off the visiting Dallas Mavericks 113-107 on Saturday afternoon to win for just the second time in their last eight games.
Rookie Maxime Raynaud chipped in with 19 points for the Kings, who led by as many as 18 in the first half and never trailed over the final two periods.
Cooper Flagg overcame a slow start to pace Dallas with a game-high 23 points and five assists.
The Kings held Flagg without a field goal and to just two points in the first half while running up a 59-44 lead at the break. Ellis had 13 of his 21 points in that span.
Seeking a second win in their last three games, the Mavericks got within 71-68 midway through the third quarter, only to see Westbrook drill a 3-pointer and Ellis bury a pair from long range in a 9-0 flurry that built the advantage back to double figures.
In a game in which both teams were missing their star centers, Dallas was still down by 12 with 3:01 remaining before making one last push. P.J. Washington scored on a dunk, Klay Thompson buried a 3-pointer and Flagg scored from the interior in a seven-point spurt that made it a 109-104 game with still 1:45 left.
But after the Kings’ Dylan Cardwell and Flagg exchanged hoops, the Mavericks committed a turnover and missed back-to-back shots, leaving them five down before Dwight Powell made just one of two free throws with 11.4 seconds to go with a chance to make it a one-score game.
DeMar DeRozan iced the win with two free throws with nine seconds left for Sacramento, which was playing its 17th straight game without injured Domantas Sabonis.
In topping his previous season high by one point, Ellis did most of his damage from 3-point range, making five of 10. Shooting 45% from deep, the Kings outscored the Mavericks 51-39 on 3-pointers.
Westbrook also found time for a game-high nine assists for the Kings, while Dennis Schroder had 10 points and Precious Achiuwa tied for the team lead with nine rebounds.
Washington finished with 17 points and Thompson had 14 for Dallas, which lost Anthony Davis to groin spasms in its Christmas Day loss at Golden State. Daniel Gafford and Naji Marshall had 11 points apiece, while Powell snatched a game-high 11 rebounds.
–Field Level Media
