Dallas @ Sacramento preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 8, 2019 ) Sacramento 110, Dallas 106

The Dallas Mavericks have won back-to-back games for the first time since late December and hope to tack on another triumph when they visit the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday. Dallas went through a tailspin in which it lost five of seven games before posting consecutive victories over the Philadelphia 76ers and Golden State Warriors.

The Mavericks won those two games by an average of 22.5 points, including an easy 124-97 road win over the Warriors on Tuesday. "I like the way we played. I liked our concentration, focus and effort defensively," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said afterward. "We made enough plays offensively to get out of here alive." The Kings have lost 11 of their past 14 games and the most recent one was painful as Orlando's Aaron Gordon converted a three-point play with 1.1 seconds remaining to give the Magic a 114-112 win at Sacramento. "When you lose like this, it's not a great feeling," forward Nemanja Bjelica said afterward. "We keep losing the games and we need to fix that. We need to open the game like we finished the last five minutes."

TIME: 10 p.m. ET. TV: FS Southwest, NBCS California

ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (25-15): Forward Dwight Powell scored 21 points on 9-of-9 shooting in 24 minutes against Golden State and he has reached double digits in five of the past six games. Powell is averaging 15 points during the stretch while knocking down 36-of-44 shots, a superb 81.8 percent. "Powell has made a couple adjustments in his game," Carlisle said. "His roles and attacks and offensive rebound crashes are among the most efficient in the game. He's playing at a high level."

ABOUT THE KINGS (15-25): Bjelica established career bests of 34 points and eight 3-pointers in the loss to Orlando, which topped the then-career-tying 30 points he scored in a 110-106 road win over the Dallas Mavericks on Dec. 8. "What I've known of Belly from watching throughout the years in the league, he's a space four man," Sacramento coach Luke Walton told reporters. "And as I get to know him, see what he's capable of, talk to him, find out more about him, he's much more than that. He's a skilled player." Second-year pro Marvin Bagley III (foot) returned from an eight-game absence to contribute 18 points and six rebounds in 23 minutes and his return is timely with starting power forward Richaun Holmes (shoulder) sidelined for at least two to three more weeks.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Kings have won the last four meetings and 10 of the past 13.

2. Dallas PF Kristaps Porzingis (knee) may return from an eight-game absence.

3. Sacramento reserve SG Bogdan Bogdanovic (ankle) is expected to miss his sixth straight game.

PREDICTION: Mavericks 114, Kings 110