1/15: Sac Kings beat Dallas Mavericks

[Mark Holtz]

Unfortunately, I was not able to watch the game last night, but in a top-billed matchup, the Sacramento Kings beat the Dallas Mavericks by 29 points (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=230115023).

Now, Dallas has THE BEST record in the NBA, followed by the Kings, so I expected the score to be a lot closer than 123-94, and the Kings dominating every quarter. We also have blowout of the Nets on the 9th.... again a big surprise.

This year's playoffs will be fun to watch, and the East is doing pretty well also.

And, for the Mavs fans out there, hope your team keeps up it's winning ways. In some ways, they are similar to the Kings.

[Karl Foster]

You missed a good game. I watched the Kings/Mavs and the Jazz/Nuggets game PIP last night and the Kings thumping the Mavs was the best of the two (the Nuggets need some help).

Sometimes even the best teams play like crap (like the Mavs last night). I get to see the Jazz/Nets game next Monday night and I am quite excited. I hope the Nets play like crap that night :)

[John Corn]

Nellie has commited Dallas to the zone defense and it will hurt them in the playoffs. The reason Sacramento won big is because they were picking the zone apart by shooting over it and exploiting the holes. Dallas cannot win if they can't play match-up defense. To be successful in the playoffs you need to make defensive adjustments and with a zone defense there aren't any.

However, Dallas just ran into the better team. There is no other team in the league that shoots like the Kings, so there defense isn't totally at fault. The Spurs and Lakers used to be able to make teams pay for cheating on D, but now the league is filled with so many jumpshot deprived players that Dallas can get away with junk defenses. Tonight just wasn't that night.

What a matchup and a great game, congrats to the Kings. :righton:

[Mark Holtz]

Well, I was at work at tip-off, and already had my PVR set up for other programming. :(