Kings 112, Mavericks 97
SACRAMENTO, Calif. --- With their new Sacramento Kings teammates in the front court watching in street clothes, center DeMarcus Cousins and forward Derrick Williams put on a show Monday.
Guard Isaiah Thomas, who eventually will feed the ball to forwards Rudy Gay and Quincy Acy and center Aaron Gray, was awfully good, too.
Cousins had 32 points and 19 rebounds; Williams scored 31 points on 12-for-16 shooting, and the Kings routed the Dallas Mavericks 112-97 on Monday at Sleep Train Area. Thomas, making his first start of the season, added 24 points and a career-high 12 assists to help Sacramento roll to its second straight victory.
On hand to watch it from a luxury box were Gay, Acy and Gray, the three players the Kings acquired from the Toronto Raptors on Sunday in exchange for guard Greivis Vasquez, forwards John Salmons and Patrick Patterson, and center Chuck Hayes. The trade was announced officially Monday.
Sacramento's starters scored all but 12 of their team's points, as the Kings dressed only 10 players, but fatigue was not an issue. The Kings built a 106-82 lead late in the fourth quarter.
Guard Monta Ellis scored 21 points to lead the Mavericks. Forward Dirk Nowitzki added 18 points, seven assists and six rebounds.
NOTES: Kings coach Michael Malone said that with G Greivis Vasquez dealt to Toronto, Jimmer Fredette and rookie Ray McCallum will compete for time backing up Isaiah Thomas at the point. McCallum, the team's second-round pick out of the University of Detroit, played less than a minute in the only game in which he appeared before Monday. ... With Monday's trade, the Kings now have dealt five players who dressed for them on opening night. F Luc Mbah a Moute was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for F Derrick Williams last month. ... C DeJuan Blair made his third straight start for the Mavericks, while Samuel Dalembert, who started 17 of Dallas' first 19 games, was the third center off the bench behind rookie Bernard James. ... Mavericks F Dirk Nowitzki failed to register an offensive rebound Monday. He entered the game needing six to tie James Donaldson atop the Mavericks' all-time list. Donaldson had 1,296. ... According the Elias Sports Bureau, Sacramento's 112-102 overtime victory at Utah on Sunday was the franchise's first-ever road OT win by a double-digit margin.
