Cooper Flagg scored 20 points, Brandon Williams hit the winning 3-pointer with 33.9 seconds to play, and the Dallas Mavericks held on for a 100-98 win over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night to snap a seven-game road losing streak.Anthony Davis had 19 points and 16 rebounds for the Mavericks, who trailed 98-97 when Williams hit his 3-pointer for a 100-98 lead.The Kings had multiple chances to retake the lead, but Dennis Schroder, Russell Westbrook and DeMar DeRozan all missed 3-point tries in the final seconds.Sacramento, which lost its sixth game in a row, was led by DeRozan with 21 points. Zach LaVine had 20 and Maxime Reynaud added 14. The Kings’ last win was Dec. 27 against Dallas. The Kings at 8-29 have the second-worst record in the Western Conference.Williams ended up with 18 for Dallas, and Naji Marshall had 15. Daniel Gafford had 13 rebounds for the Mavericks, who have won back-to-back games following a four-game losing streak. They beat the Rockets on Saturday, 110-104.The Mavericks trailed 58-46 at halftime, but cut the deficit to 78-76 after three. The Mavericks outscored the Kings by 14 points over the final two quarters.Even though LaVine returned to the lineup after a nine-game absence due to a left ankle sprain, the Kings played without forward Keegan Murray, who suffered a left ankle sprain in Sunday’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. He will be reevaluated in three to four weeks. Murray missed the start of the season with a thumb injury.Up nextDallas plays at Utah on Thursday night.Sacramento is at Golden State on Friday night.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Cooper Flagg scored 20 points, Brandon Williams hit the winning 3-pointer with 33.9 seconds to play, and the Dallas Mavericks held on for a 100-98 win over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night to snap a seven-game road losing streak.
Anthony Davis had 19 points and 16 rebounds for the Mavericks, who trailed 98-97 when Williams hit his 3-pointer for a 100-98 lead.
The Kings had multiple chances to retake the lead, but Dennis Schroder, Russell Westbrook and DeMar DeRozan all missed 3-point tries in the final seconds.
Sacramento, which lost its sixth game in a row, was led by DeRozan with 21 points. Zach LaVine had 20 and Maxime Reynaud added 14. The Kings’ last win was Dec. 27 against Dallas. The Kings at 8-29 have the second-worst record in the Western Conference.
Williams ended up with 18 for Dallas, and Naji Marshall had 15. Daniel Gafford had 13 rebounds for the Mavericks, who have won back-to-back games following a four-game losing streak. They beat the Rockets on Saturday, 110-104.
The Mavericks trailed 58-46 at halftime, but cut the deficit to 78-76 after three. The Mavericks outscored the Kings by 14 points over the final two quarters.
Even though LaVine returned to the lineup after a nine-game absence due to a left ankle sprain, the Kings played without forward Keegan Murray, who suffered a left ankle sprain in Sunday’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. He will be reevaluated in three to four weeks. Murray missed the start of the season with a thumb injury.
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The Philadelphia 76ers have built their reputation on more than just star power; they thrive on defensive intensity, tactical discipline, and adaptability.
As the NBA evolves into an offense-driven league defined by pace, spacing, and three-point volume, the Sixers continue to assert themselves as one of the few teams capable of neutralizing high-octane attacks.
Their ability to defend elite offenses like those of Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, and even the upstart Houston Rockets tells a compelling story about where this team stands, and what it will take to make a deep postseason run.
Let’s take a deep dive into the elite opponents the 76ers could face and what that reveals about Philadelphia.
When the Philadelphia 76ers face the Cleveland Cavaliers, the matchup becomes a showcase of defensive intelligence versus calculated offense.
Cleveland thrives on tempo control and physical half-court sets driven by Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell. Yet, Philadelphia’s defense, anchored by Joel Embiid’s rim protection and reinforced by versatile wings, forces Cleveland’s guards into uncomfortable midrange attempts.
The Sixers excel in closing driving lanes and switching seamlessly between pick-and-roll coverages, limiting Cleveland’s second-chance opportunities. Tyrese Maxey’s quick rotations and Kelly Oubre Jr.’s length have become essential in stifling perimeter scorers, forcing the Cavs to rely more heavily on interior playmaking.
According to recent trends on FanDuel, the Sixers often hold the Cavaliers below their season scoring average, underscoring their ability to dictate tempo and defensive flow.
This matchup reflects what defines Philadelphia’s defensive identity: physical containment, communication, and a refusal to let opponents dictate pace.
Dallas Mavericks: Neutralizing An Elite Offense
Few teams present a greater tactical challenge than the Dallas Mavericks. Kyrie Irving’s shot creation creates a near-impossible puzzle for most defenses, but not for the Philadelphia 76ers. Philly’s defensive strategy against Dallas focuses on calculated containment rather than overcommitment.
By deploying length on the perimeter and funneling drives into Embiid’s area, the Sixers force Dallas to take tough step-backs rather than create open looks for shooters.
Philadelphia’s help defense is among the most disciplined in the league; rotations are crisp, and double-teams are timed to disrupt rhythm rather than simply pressure.
Against Dallas’s spread offense, the Sixers rely heavily on switching versatility. The 76ers’ defensive IQ and Tobias Harris’s mobility allow them to handle mismatches without compromising structure.
The result is a system custom-built to frustrate Dallas’s preferred pace and expose the Mavericks’ overreliance on isolation play, a testament to how fundamentally sound the Sixers’ defense remains.
Denver Nuggets: A True Test of Defensive Structure
Defending the reigning champions, the Denver Nuggets, is the ultimate measuring stick for any contender. Nikola Jokić is an offensive system unto himself, capable of dissecting defenses with surgical precision.
Yet, the Philadelphia 76ers have found ways to challenge his dominance through layered defensive schemes.
When Embiid anchors the paint, the Sixers can afford to stay home on shooters, forcing Jokić into contested hook shots rather than wide-open kick-outs. Philadelphia alternates between drop coverage and soft doubles, ensuring Jokić sees multiple looks without exposing weak-side vulnerabilities.
Perimeter containment is equally vital: Maxey will disrupt Jamal Murray’s timing, while Oubre’s wingspan deters entry passes. Against Denver’s movement-heavy offense, the Sixers rely on communication and positional awareness, hallmarks of a mature defensive identity.
The result isn’t always perfection, but Philadelphia’s ability to slow the Nuggets’ efficiency demonstrates how preparation and versatility can stand up to elite offensive orchestration.
Houston Rockets: Young Energy vs. Veteran Discipline
While the Houston Rockets are still developing into a playoff-caliber team, their youthful energy and uptempo offense provide a valuable test for the Philadelphia 76ers’ defensive endurance.
Houston’s attack thrives on pace, quick decision-making, and aggressive penetration, the kind of approach that punishes sluggish defensive rotations.
Philadelphia inevitably responds with discipline. The Sixers excel in limiting transition points, forcing Houston’s young guards to operate in half-court scenarios where mistakes are magnified. Embiid’s rim presence discourages reckless drives, while defenders use physicality to deny second-chance buckets.
In these matchups, Philadelphia’s experience becomes its greatest weapon. The Sixers slow down Houston’s rhythm, impose half-court sets, and capitalize on defensive rebounding.
Their ability to neutralize high-energy teams showcases how defensive maturity can outlast youthful exuberance, a defining characteristic for a team aiming to contend deep into the postseason.
Bettor Takeaway
For bettors, understanding the Philadelphia 76ers’ defensive blueprint offers a clear advantage. While many wagerers focus on offensive trends, defense often dictates the spread and total outcomes.
Credit: LOGAN WEAVER | @LGNWVR-Unsplash
When the Sixers face top-tier offenses, their ability to hold teams below average scoring outputs can make under wagers particularly appealing.
The Sixers’ consistency in forcing inefficient shots and slowing the pace translates directly into betting value. Games against Cleveland and Denver, for instance, tend to be lower-scoring affairs, while matchups with Dallas and Houston often depend on how well Philadelphia controls the first quarter.
Savvy bettors on platforms like FanDuel recognize that the Sixers’ defense doesn’t just win games, it reshapes odds.
Moreover, Philadelphia’s combination of Embiid’s rim protection and elite team defense often leads to in-game betting opportunities, such as live unders or player prop unders for opposing stars.
Understanding these defensive patterns is key for bettors looking to capitalize on value that others overlook.
The Blueprint for Sustained Success
The Philadelphia 76ers’ identity rests on defense, intelligence, adaptability, and relentlessness.
Against elite offensive teams, from Cleveland’s methodical approach to Denver’s fluid precision, the Sixers continue to prove that defense can still win in a league dominated by offense.
Their ability to impose pace, protect the paint, and frustrate superstars isn’t just a byproduct of talent; it’s a philosophy.
When the postseason looms, the Sixers’ path to contention will hinge not only on scoring power but on maintaining their defensive DNA. In an NBA landscape where points come easy, Philadelphia reminds the league that containment, communication, and discipline still separate the great from the merely good.
For fans and bettors alike, the message is clear: the Sixers’ defensive evolution isn’t just about stopping opponents, it’s about redefining what it takes to win in modern basketball.
From top to bottom in the Celtics‘ organization, they did what needed to be done to win a championship.
Whether it was role players going above and beyond, the number 2 option exceeding expectations, the scouting department finding the right guy, the coach leading them to victory, etc., they succeeded at the highest level.
Every team in the league should use the Celtics as a blueprint for winning a championship.
The Celtics Stuck With Their Guys
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have played their whole careers in Boston together. They have grown and developed into one of the best (if not THE best) duos in the NBA today. Even after coming up short for a few years, the front office kept building around them and drafting other guys who contributed to the team in major ways.
Not every guy on the team was drafted by them, but a few of the free agents they’ve signed have played for them for multiple years. Derrick White, Luke Kornet, and Al Horford have all spent time on different teams, but they’ve been on the Celtics for at least the last 2 years, building chemistry with the main guys (Brown and Tatum).
Also, Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard, drafted in 2021 and 2020, both have spent their short careers fully with the Celtics. Having 7 guys who know the organization and build chemistry together for years will yield strong results a lot of the time. That’s exactly what happened with the Celtics.
The Value of Drafting
Over the years, the Sixers have traded many of their picks away to get a “star” in return. How has that worked out?
The Celtics use their draft picks much more productively to acquire talent. Not only do they choose better players, they are much more patient to let the talent develop. Outside of the top-5, most players need time to grow into real contributors. The Celtics understand that. They let their players develop over time and learn how to play around the guys they have on the team. This gives the team cheap talent, which helps them acquire players like Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday.
The Sixers need to value their drafting more. If they invest more into their scouting department and take the draft more seriously, they could give Tyrese Maxey another great player who could play with him for years to come.
Celtics are Smart with their Contracts
When teams draft and develop their own players, it also allows them to keep players on more affordable contracts instead of overpaying in free agency. This year, the Finals MVP (Jaylen Brown) only made the 4th most money on his team, and the team leader (Jayson Tatum) made the 3rd most. Drafting these two guys put the Celtics in a very good position to build talent and get the job done.
While they did make some major additions with Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, they didn’t just sign someone because of their name. The Sixers seem to have a tendency to sign names rather than players, while the Celtics do the opposite.
Players like James Harden make way too much money than they believe they are worth, which puts teams in a bad spot. The Sixers couldn’t get it done with him, and neither could the Clippers.
The Sixers need better league and draft scouting. Finding players on more valuable contracts could send them to the next level.
Three minutes into the fourth quarter of Game 4 this entire column was justifiably nearly done, and a Pulitzer was in the bag, because the Dallas Mavericks were following a script they have mastered.
They fall behind against the Minnesota Timberwolves here in the Western Conference Finals, and then go on some silly 27-1 run to come back and win it in the final minute. That’s what they did in the first three games, and why they had a 3-0 series lead.
On Tuesday night, with the American Airlines Center jumping well before tip off, this series finale felt inevitable. The Mavericks were going to win Game 4, and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011.
Should have happened.
“It’s hard to close in this league,” Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said.
If his players didn’t know that before Tuesday they do now.
Even when the Mavericks trailed by eight points with less than two minutes remaining, they had their chances to tie it. Maybe take the lead, just like they did in the previous three games. Everyone in the building, but a small number, expected it.
In the fourth game, neither happened.
Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns finally played to the Hall of Fame level Karl-Anthony Towns thinks he is, and the Wolves defeated the Mavs, 105-100.
The series that should never have been a sweep now in reality is not, which will only depress TNT’s NBA color analyst Charles Barkley. Sir Charles has made it no secret he would prefer to eat nothing but fruits and vegetables rather than return to Minneapolis for a Game 5, which will be played on Thursday night.
“That game is on me. I just didn’t give enough energy,” Mavericks guard Luka Doncic said after the game.
Mavs center Daniel Gafford said the same thing; that he couldn’t find the energy.
Starbucks, maybe?
“This one hurts,” Gafford said. “We expected to be happy at the end of the game, and now we’re (upset).”
Energy issues aside, with a 3-0 series lead they more than likely arrived to the arena knowing they would show up and win the game.
Energy issues aside, the Mavs simply didn’t make shots, and Minnesota did.
The Mavericks shot 15-of-40 from 3-point range. They took 81 shots in the game. Mavs guard Kyrie Irving never could get it going, and shot 6-of-18 from the floor.
“We had good looks. Corner 3’s. Couldn’t ask for a better situation,” Kidd said.
Despite the horrible shooting, even in the waning seconds it still felt like the Mavericks were going to do it again, win, and celebrate a trip to the Finals.
When Doncic hit a 3-pointer and was fouled with 13 seconds remaining, he had the chance to make it a 2-point game. In the previous three games, he makes the free throw, the Mavs steal the inbound pass, and Doncic makes the game-winning shot with 0.2 seconds remaining.
Consistent with how Game 4 went, he missed the free throw and that ended the Mavs’ plans of a sweep.
“That’s where I thought the game could change,” Kidd said. “We couldn’t capitalize. … We’ve been knocking down 3’s. Wide open 3’s. We just didn’t make them.”
The loss of center Derek Lively to a neck sprain suffered in Game 3 was noticeable, and not the reason the Mavs lost. They did welcome forward Maxi Kleber back to the lineup for the first time in more than a month, but he can’t be expected to do too much in his first game back.
It’s impossible to see how Minnesota wins this series, but possible to see the Timberwolves winning another game. They’re talented, and if a few more shots drop in the first three games this series is tied.
In Game 4, Towns and guard Anthony Edwards combined for 54 points.
After playing like a dead ghost, and not a good one, in the first three games, in Game 4 KAT finally played like he cares about the game of basketball beyond making millions from it. In Game 4, he made 9 of 13 shots, including 4 of 5 from 3-point range. If he really ever decides to care all the time, he’s a top 10 player in the NBA.
The Mavericks now head back to Minnesota in an effort to be done with this series on Thursday night.
“Whether you win in four or seven,” Doncic said, “you just have to win four.”
This should have been over in four.
This story was originally published May 28, 2024, 10:58 PM.
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Mac Engel is an award-winning columnist who has covered sports since the dawn of man; Cowboys, TCU, Stars, Rangers, Mavericks, etc. Olympics. Movies. Concerts. Books. He combines dry wit with 1st-person reporting to complement an annoying personality. Support my work with a digital subscription
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KTXL) – Kings forward Keegan Murray talks about Tuesday’s 132-96 loss to the Mavericks, the terrible second half effort from Sacramento, the performance from Luka Doncic to lead Dallas to victory and looking ahead to a rematch on Friday with a chance to win the season series.
With the loss, the Kings fall a game behind the Mavericks, who now sit in sixth place in the Western Conference standings. Both teams will meet again at Golden 1 Center on Friday night.
Luka Doncic became the first NBA player to record six consecutive 30-point triple-doubles as the Dallas Mavericks pulled away in the second half and beat the Detroit Pistons 142-124 on Saturday night.Doncic finished with 39 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds, eclipsing Russell Westbrook’s mark of five straight 30-point triple-doubles. He also extended his own record with a fifth straight 35-point triple-double.Video above: LeBron James becomes first NBA player to score 40,000 pointsKyrie Irving added 21 points for Dallas, which has won two in a row after a three-game losing streak.Cade Cunningham had 33 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds for the Pistons, who have lost 10 of 12. Simone Fontecchio added a career-high 27 points.The Mavericks led 69-65 at halftime, helped by 21 points from Doncic in the second quarter.Doncic had 10 more points in the third and Dallas moved out to a 144-88 lead after Michigan star Tim Hardaway Jr. hit three 3-pointers in the final 2:16 of the period — the last, a buzzer-beater.The Mavericks outscored Detroit 7-0 in the first minute of the fourth, extending their lead to 23 points.The game got scrappy down the stretch. With 9:07 left, Stanley Umude was whistled for a flagrant four for hitting Hardaway in the head. Then, with 7:03 left, Jalen Duren fouled Gafford hard as he went to the basket on what would have been Doncic’s 10th assist. P.J. Washington lightly pushed Duren away from Gafford, who was on the floor, and Duren responded with a much harder shove, bringing all 10 players into the scrum.Duren was ejected after receiving a personal foul and two technicals. Washington also received a technical.Cunningham battled Doncic fairly evenly in the first half, posting 24 points, five rebounds and four assists. Meanwhile, Dallas turned eight turnovers by the Pistons into 18 points.
DETROIT —
Luka Doncic became the first NBA player to record six consecutive 30-point triple-doubles as the Dallas Mavericks pulled away in the second half and beat the Detroit Pistons 142-124 on Saturday night.
Doncic finished with 39 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds, eclipsing Russell Westbrook’s mark of five straight 30-point triple-doubles. He also extended his own record with a fifth straight 35-point triple-double.
Video above: LeBron James becomes first NBA player to score 40,000 points
Kyrie Irving added 21 points for Dallas, which has won two in a row after a three-game losing streak.
Cade Cunningham had 33 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds for the Pistons, who have lost 10 of 12. Simone Fontecchio added a career-high 27 points.
The Mavericks led 69-65 at halftime, helped by 21 points from Doncic in the second quarter.
Doncic had 10 more points in the third and Dallas moved out to a 144-88 lead after Michigan star Tim Hardaway Jr. hit three 3-pointers in the final 2:16 of the period — the last, a buzzer-beater.
The Mavericks outscored Detroit 7-0 in the first minute of the fourth, extending their lead to 23 points.
The game got scrappy down the stretch. With 9:07 left, Stanley Umude was whistled for a flagrant four for hitting Hardaway in the head. Then, with 7:03 left, Jalen Duren fouled Gafford hard as he went to the basket on what would have been Doncic’s 10th assist. P.J. Washington lightly pushed Duren away from Gafford, who was on the floor, and Duren responded with a much harder shove, bringing all 10 players into the scrum.
Duren was ejected after receiving a personal foul and two technicals. Washington also received a technical.
Cunningham battled Doncic fairly evenly in the first half, posting 24 points, five rebounds and four assists. Meanwhile, Dallas turned eight turnovers by the Pistons into 18 points.
