2024-25 Western Conference Play-In Preview: No. 9 Sacramento Kings vs. No. 10 Dallas Mavericks 

NBA Play-In Preview 2025: Sacramento Kings vs Dallas Mavericks 

The NBA Play-In games are set and they tip off Tuesday, April 15, with the 7-8-seed matchups. However, in this article, I will cover the 9th-place Sacramento Kings vs the 10th-place Dallas Mavericks matchup.

These teams both underachieved this year but find themselves with one last chance to secure a spot in the NBA Playoffs. Also, both teams have undergone substantial changes to their roster throughout the season. The Kings swept the Mavericks 3-0 in the regular season, but will the NBA Play-In game be different?

What to know about the Sacramento Kings

Notable Starters

• G: Keon Ellis
• G: Zach Lavine
• F: Demar DeRozan 
• F: Keegan Murray
• C: Domantas Sabonis

Other Players in Playoff Rotation:

• F: Trey Lyles
• C: Jonas Valanciunas
• G: Devin Carter 

The Sacramento Kings are looking a bit different heading into the 2025 NBA Play-In game. Head coach Mike Brown and the former face of the franchise, DeAaron Fox, are gone. Now, interim head coach Doug Christie and newly acquired guard Zach LaVine will try to get the Kings to the Playoffs. Sacramento has had an up-and-down year all season with a fair amount of multi-game skids. However, they added players like Jonas Valanciunas, Jake LaRavia and Markelle Fultz before the deadline to round out the Kings’ bench.

After a slow start, Lavine has been solid for Sacramento in 32 games, averaging 22.4 points, 3.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds. He has been incredibly efficient all season and he is on a heater, averaging 29.8 points in his last five games. DeRozan continues to be an offensive weapon in his sixteenth year in the league and he has shown he is still capable of closing out a game. Sabonis is as consistent as a big man could be, averaging 19.1 points and 13.9 rebounds a game while taking home the rebounding title in the 2025 NBA season.

Next, Keegan Murray and Keon Ellis are the Kings’ best defenders, but they will need to step up their offensive games in the postseason. Finally, Sacramento’s depth has been a weakness all season. They will need production from the bench if they hope to make it in the NBA Playoffs as the eighth seed.

What to Know About the Dallas Mavericks

Notable Starters 

• SG: Klay Thompson 
• SF: Naji Marshall
• F: P.J. Washington 
• F: Anthony Davis
• C: Derek Lively ll

Other Players in Playoff Rotation:

• PG: Spencer Dinwiddie
• SF: Caleb Martin
• C: Daniel Gafford 

The Dallas Mavericks had a humongous switch-up at the trade deadline when they traded young superstar Luka Doncic to the Lakers. Now, Dallas will try to salvage a playoff run with their newly retooled roster. However, this will be a tough task for Dallas as the team will be without superstar Kyrie Irving due to a season-ending injury. The Mavericks were hit with the injury bug badly this year, which is part of the reason why they are a No. 10 seed. Furthermore, Dallas has four starters that are a game-time decision.

Anthony Davis is an elite player and one of the best two-way players of all time. Unfortunately, he has only played nine games for Dallas, but he has averaged a solid 20 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks. The Mavericks will need Prime AD for two games if they want to make the NBA Playoffs. Thompson has had a solid year with his new team and he has demonstrated he can still be a fantastic 3-point shooter. Washington has raised his game in multiple areas this year and is having one of the most efficient seasons in his career. 

Big men Lively ll and Gafford have been big on the boards for the Mavericks while providing some offensive reinforcements. Finally, Dinwiddie and newly acquired guard Max Christie have shown at times they can carry some of the offensive load left by Irving’s absence.

Questions for the NBA Play-In Preview 

1.) How much did injuries influence the 3 Dallas regular-season losses?

The Mavericks lost in overtime by one point to the Kings in their first meeting post-trade deadline. Dallas played without Davis, Washington, Lively, Powell and Gafford got injured in the second quarter in this game. In their second matchup, Lively and Washington were still out and Irving tore his ACL in the first quarter. 

Now, fans might get a chance to see these two teams drastically changed at the trade deadline and compete against each other while being relatively healthy. At the same time, there will still not be Irving or Kings guard Malik Monk in this game. Nevertheless, there’s no better time to see how these rosters match up than in a win-or-go-home Play-In game.

2.) Who Will win the frontcourt battle?

The Sacramento Kings have the aforementioned 2025 NBA rebound leader in Sabonis and another tower in big man Valanciunas. They can have a big advantage on the boards at times, especially if they roll out the rare two-center line up. However, the Mavericks are in an interesting spot as, besides AD they can rotate in multiple bigs such as Lively, Gafford, and Powell to deal with the Kings’ size.

I believe the Mavericks have the frontcourt depth to match up with Sabonis and Valanciunas. Also, this gives them an opportunity to put Sabonis in foul trouble while the game gets physical under the hoop. However, besides all the talks about depth, it should be another classic matchup between two of the best big men in the league in Sabonis vs Davis.

Prediction: Kings Win

I could see an Anthony Davis master class game as he has terrorized the Kings while on the Lakers for years. Also, the Kings have been inconsistent on the defensive end and from behind the 3-point line this whole season. However, for one game, I like the offensive upside on the Kings. 

I’m not sure if the Mavericks will have enough offense without Kyrie to keep up with the Kings. It went downhill for Dallas in the second matchup with the Kings when Kyrie went down. Also, LaVine and DeRozan can go off for a combined 60 points plus on any given night. Davis and Sabonis tend to both usually eat in games against each other, so I will take the veteran offense firepower on the Kings to get the job done in this game.

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