Mavs-Kings Preview: Will Luka and Kairi Start Their Partnership?

Sacramento. The dynamic new NBA duo are looking to debut Friday night for the Mavericks.

Technically, Luka Doncic is in question in the first of two games against the Sacramento Kings. He missed the first three games of that trip with a bruised right heel.

But if there are no setbacks before the game, it looks like the superstar point guard has a chance to step onto the court with Kyrie Irving for the first time.

The new Maverick’s debut on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers delivered a resounding 110-104 win and gave the Mavericks their second win of the season (against seven losses) in games Luca missed.

These, however, are not your grandfather’s kings. They are third in the Western Conference and after years of failure they have found a really good lineup built around Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox.

But the Mavericks are more interested in what’s going on, especially after Irving blended in so seamlessly with his new teammates against the Clippers.

Turns out there’s a reason, he said.

“I’m the coach’s son,” Irving said. “My dad was my trainer for four years before I went to the AAU circuit. He told me about the nuances of the game and how to play with other special talents and how much respect you get when you just go out and really look easy with guys you barely know.

“Getting the ball into the basket and taking defensive shots are the simple things we focus on. Everything else will take care of itself.”

Well, he hardly knows Doncic, but for some reason that doesn’t seem like much of a problem when he’s going back to back in a baseball game.

Here’s what else you need to know about the Mavericks’ visit to Sacramento on Friday:

• The Kings traded Sabonis at the deadline last year and forfeited a rising All-Star game in Tyreese Halliburton. But the return was equally good. Sabonis is averaging 18.7 points, 12.2 rebounds and 7 assists on 61% shooting from the field. They are led by Fox, who is averaging 24.2 points per game and remains one of the fastest players in the NBA when he has the ball in his hands.
• Former Maverick Harrison Barnes has become an integral part of Sacramento and has started all 54 games this season, averaging 15.1 points and shooting over 38 percent from three-pointers.
• The Kings rank first in offensive scoring in the NBA with just over 119 points per game. However, they are not very good defensively, yielding over 49 percent of shots to opponents. This should turn this game into an entertaining shootout.
• Irving was asked what was the best thing about his first game with the Mavericks and this is what he answered: “Getting up in the morning and putting on a Mavericks shirt before going to a shootout just by seeing all the Mavericks gear in my room. You never think that you will play in the Western Conference in your career. It might be awkward. But I jumped right in.”
• The Mavericks performed well during Luka’s absence thanks to Jaden Hardy, who added an element of speed to the Mavericks that they didn’t always have, and Theo Pinson, who scored nine points in 15 minutes against the Clips.

DALLAS MAVERICS (30-26) – SACRAMENTO KINGS (31-23)

• When: 21:00 Friday.
• Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento.
• TV: Southwestern sport Bally.
• Radio:1 FM, 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish).

Twitter: @ESefko