Sacramento Kings vs Dallas Mavericks

At American Airlines Center the Western Conference playoff competition meets as Dallas Mavericks welcome the Sacramento Kings for a matchup on Tuesday.

The Milwaukee Bucks outplayed their hosts from Dallas as they obtained victory last game but the Sacramento Kings earned three consecutive wins by beating Houston Rockets.

After their victory against the Hornets the Mavericks entered their matchup against the Bucks aiming for their second triumph following their return from the All-Star break.

The Mavericks opened with a five-point advantage during the first dozen minutes but later surrendered twenty-two points before closing the quarter while trailing by eighteen.

As the offense struggled for the Mavericks Kyrie Irving posted 31 points to become the highest scorer of the game and he increased his total points from the previous three games to 91.

Since their recent 1-3 record across four games the Mavericks have fallen to the tenth position in the Western Conference which indicates they will face difficulties qualifying directly for the playoffs during the remaining 20+ regular season matches.

The Mavericks face strong competition to reduce their playoff position as they have lost their two matchups against the Kings this season yet they have a solid chance to catch up with their opponents.

The Sacramento Kings created their comeback at the ideal moment during the season climax as they alternate between strong and weak stretches for an extended period.

Following Sunday's 113-103 victory at the Toyota Center, Doug Christie's team has defeated the Charlotte Hornets, Utah Jazz, and most recently, the Houston Rockets, since falling to the Golden State Warriors in their opening game back from the break.

The Kings took control of the game with a 15-0 run early in the first quarter, but they fell behind 90 seconds before the half and outscored their opponents 58-47 for the rest of the game.

DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine led the Kings' attack against a Rockets team looking to win three consecutive games in front of their supporters, scoring 21 and 20 points apiece.

With a 31-28 record, the Kings are now ninth in the Western Conference rankings and are closing the gap on the Los Angeles Clippers in the fight for sixth place, which is expected to be decided by the end of the game.

Tuesday's visitors will now aim to win their third straight away game in the third of a four-game road trip, two days before they play the Denver Nuggets at the Ball Arena.

After playing only one minute in his team's matchup against the Rockets before being pulled off due to a hamstring injury, Domantas Sabonis is the Kings' sole injury worry.