PREVIEW: The Dallas Mavericks face the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on April 16, 2025 , in a pivotal play-in tournament matchup with significant playoff implications. Sacramento enters this contest fresh off a victory over the Phoenix Suns and holding the ninth seed , while Dallas finished tenth in the West with a 39-43 record. The winning team advances to face either Golden State or Memphis in the tournament's final stage , making this a do-or-die scenario for both franchises. Sacramento's home-court advantage could prove decisive in this matchup , given the Kings' familiarity with their home environment against a Mavericks squad struggling on the road. Unfortunately, shot quality metrics are unavailable for either team heading into this contest, leaving analysts without that specific lens for evaluation. Sacramento's offensive identity centers on Domantas Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan, who average 19.1 and 22.2 points respectively, with the Kings ranking inside the top 10 in team scoring at 115.7 PPG. Dallas has been hamstrung by the trade of Luka Doncic and injuries to Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, plus a concerning 17-25 road record. Sacramento swept the season series against Dallas 3-0, including a convincing 122-98 victory last month , suggesting the Kings have clearly found ways to contain the Mavericks' inconsistent offensive approach.