Marshall's historic 36-point gem wasn't enough as Dallas' struggles continued. Sacramento capitalized on paint dominance and second chances.
DALLAS — The Sacramento Kings entered American Airlines Center on Thursday night with the worst record in the NBA. They left with a victory.
Behind a career-high 29 points and 12 rebounds from Precious Achiuwa, Sacramento handed the Dallas Mavericks a 130-121 defeat that extended Dallas' home losing streak to six games and dropped the Mavericks to 21-37 on the season.
Naji Marshall was brilliant and nearly single-handedly kept Dallas in the game, finishing with 36 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in one of the more decorated individual performances in franchise history. It wasn't close to being enough.
"It wasn't that difficult," Marshall said of the team's mindset after falling behind by as many as 17. "Just locked in, played basketball the way we know how, and the game got simple."
Marshall shot 14-of-23 from the field and 7-of-11 from the free throw line, joining Luka Dončić as the only Maverick to record 35 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a game since Dirk Nowitzki accomplished the feat in 2009. He also became just the third undrafted player since 1983-84 to reach those numbers in a single game, alongside Austin Reaves and Amir Coffey.
The Kings, who improved to 14-47, controlled the game where it mattered most. Sacramento outrebounded Dallas 46-42, held a commanding 15-8 edge in offensive rebounds and scored 76 points in the paint. Achiuwa set the tone in the first quarter, scoring 14 points and grabbing seven rebounds as the Kings sprinted to a 42-28 lead, leaving the Mavericks scrambling to keep pace.
Marshall accounted for 23 of Dallas' 28 first-quarter points almost entirely on his own — a remarkable one-man stand that kept the deficit from ballooning further. But Sacramento's advantage in physicality and second-chance opportunities proved too much to overcome across 48 minutes.
"We gave up 76 points in the paint and I think 15 offensive rebounds," Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. "We have to be better — getting the rebound and getting out and running. We just didn't do that on a consistent basis tonight."
Dallas mounted a significant charge in the fourth quarter. Khris Middleton, making his Mavericks debut following his acquisition in a February trade, converted a three-pointer and a turnaround jumper. Brandon Williams, who contributed 16 points off the bench, drilled a triple to pull Dallas within four. A Williams three-point play with 1:56 remaining cut the deficit to 123-121, and the sellout crowd at American Airlines Center rose to its feet.
Sacramento answered every time. Achiuwa grabbed an offensive rebound off his own miss with the shot clock nearly expired and converted to push the lead back to four. After a Middleton turnover, Daeqwon Plowden — who set a career high with 19 points on 7-of-7 shooting — buried a three-pointer with 51.9 seconds remaining to seal it. Dallas committed 17 turnovers on the night, and the late miscues proved fatal.
"Turnovers," Kidd said. "We missed shots, didn't take care of the ball, and they capitalized. Sacramento was good tonight — give them credit. They played hard."
Middleton's debut raised as many questions as it answered. The veteran forward, who shot 5-of-9 from the field for 17 points, could still be bought out before Saturday's March 1 deadline, which would free him to sign with a playoff contender. With Dallas sitting far below .500 and showing little sign of a turnaround, a buyout remains a legitimate possibility. Thursday's performance may prove to be his only appearance in a Mavericks uniform.
Kidd spoke warmly about his new addition, regardless of what the coming days may bring.
"He's a champion, he's a pro, he comes to work, he does his job," said Kidd, who previously coached Middleton in Milwaukee. "He can help us with his voice, not just his play. Just looking at his knowledge and understanding of the game — it's been great working with Khris."
AJ Johnson provided the other encouraging subplot of the evening, scoring 11 points on a perfect 4-of-4 from the field in 15 minutes off the bench in his own Mavericks debut. The 22-year-old's energy in the second quarter helped spark a Dallas run that briefly made the deficit feel manageable, and he connected on a critical three-pointer during the fourth-quarter push.
"His energy became contagious and got us back into the game," Kidd said.
Dallas played without Cooper Flagg, who missed his fifth consecutive game with a left midfoot sprain, along with Kyrie Irving, Daniel Gafford, PJ Washington, and Dereck Lively II.
The Mavericks host the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night at American Airlines Center, with tipoff slated for 7:30 p.m. CST.