Mavs prepare for another cold blast of Cousins, Kings

Kings at Mavericks

3 p.m. Sunday, American Airlines Center, Dallas

TV: FSSW

Radio: ESPN/103.3 FM; Univision/1270 AM (Spanish)

Records: Mavericks 6-20; Kings 10-16

About the Kings: On Dec. 7 the Kings were in Dallas and pounded the Mavs 120-89. The Kings led 56-52 at the half and then blew the game open by outscoring the Mavs 29-12 in the third quarter. It was the Mavs’ second-worst loss of the season. DeMarcus Cousins had 24 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks. ... The Kings have lost six of their last nine games. ... Their last two games summarize the ups and downs the Kings have endured this season. On Wednesday, the Kings suffered their worst loss of the season, 132-98 at Houston. On Friday, Sacramento captured arguably its most impressive win of the season, 96-92 at Memphis.

About the Mavericks: Sunday’s game follows Friday’s heartbreaking 103-100 loss at the Utah Jazz. The game was tied at 100 and the Mavs had possession with 23 seconds to go. But point guard Deron Williams shot a 3-pointer with less than 10 seconds remaining – instead of setting up a final shot that would win the game or at worst force overtime. Utah’s Rodney Hood, grabbed the miss, raced down the court and nailed a game-winning 3-pointer with 0.8 seconds left. Williams took the blame for not managing the clock better. ... After Sunday’s game, the Mavs head out for a four-game road trip starting Monday in Denver. ... The Mavs’ only other home game this month is Dec. 27 against Houston.

This story was originally published December 17, 2016 at 6:59 PM with the headline "Mavs prepare for another cold blast of Cousins, Kings."