SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Pressure does funny things to teams, and on Wednesday night at Golden 1 Center, the Sacramento Kings found themselves reeling under the weight of it.
For the second consecutive season, the Kings' campaign ended not by lighting a beam but by facing the crushing finality of another play-in exit. The Dallas Mavericks rose to the occasion, pulling off a stunning and convincing 120-106 upset over the Kings to keep their season alive. The win sends Dallas into a date with Memphis on Friday for the Western Conference's final playoff spot.
Here are key takeaways from a surprising night in Sacramento:
The Mavericks played a perfect game at the perfect time
Call it peaking at the right moment.