Away winning streak, Kyrie’s highlights since defeating Kings

SACREMENTO. The aftermath of Friday’s 122–114 victory over the Kings is that the Mavericks are now on a three-game winning streak on the road.

Winning positions in hostile arenas is paramount for the Mavericks, who have a 19-9 home record and have now increased their road record to 12-17.

On Saturday they have a chance to finish the trip 4-1.

But this would not have happened without the salty game, especially in the first quarter, on Friday.

Here are our takeaways from the first game in a row in Sacramento.

IMPACT OF KYRIE: It feels different, but perhaps no one looked more rejuvenated with the arrival of Kyrie Irving than JaVale McGee. It has been around long enough to know that its role will always change. But in the two games since Irving came in, McGee has looked like a different player. “I think you saw it when Kai first trained with us, you could see the twist in JaVale,” said trainer Jason Kidd. “So hopefully JaVale will continue to play the way it used to. This gives us another dynamic.” McGee nearly missed a double-double on Friday with 11 points and nine rebounds in 19 minutes. He was more involved in organizing the crime. Admittedly, that may change when Luka returns, but McGee’s impact was huge on Friday, especially after Dwight Powell was hit with an early foul.

RUN RUN RUN: The Mavericks became the running and shooting Mavericks, and when they scored 74 points at halftime on Friday, it was clear that the style of play suited them and might catch them off guard. “We play fast and move the ball,” said Josh Green. “It’s really a selfless style. It’s fun, of course.” And that helps Green, who had 17 points and seven assists on Friday night. And by the looks of it, the Mavericks are looking to continue to force things when Luka returns, likely on Saturday night. “We talked about it, and Luca is all for it,” Greene said. “Luka is also a team player. After all, if something works, we will continue to do it.”

CONFIDENCE, BABY: The Mavericks are feeding off Irving, as evidenced by their season-best 34 assists on Friday. And everyone gets involved. Jayden Hardy scored 12 points and was the best in the team in plus or minus from plus 15. Christian Wood scored 13 points in 12 minutes. Tim Hardaway Jr. had five assists and seven rebounds as everyone chipped in on the scoreboard. And all of this is happening because Irving is allowing—in fact, insisting—that his teammates disobey the rookie. “To play the way he played in the last two games and trust us, that’s very important,” Green said. “It means a lot, especially for a young player like me, to have such a superstar, trust me, it means a lot to me. And I’m sure it means a lot to the rest of the team. It was amazing.” Green also said that trust was built immediately after Irving’s arrival. “In the first practice, the coach told me to play,” said Green. “I pointed out, ah, now we have Kairi. I don’t need to run the play. But it’s good. To be honest, it feels like they (Irving and Markieff Morris) have been on the team for a long time.”

Twitter: @ESefko