There are no winless teams left in the NBA. The Sacramento Kings, the only squad yet to secure a victory, finally broke through this early this morning by defeating the Dallas Mavericks 100-115, turning weeks of chatter about the impressive numbers of Darius Acuff into a win. And with that, they stopped being the lone last-place team and tied the other five clubs that sit at 1-6.
The California victory was anchored by three of their players: the aforementioned Acuff, the top scorer with 25 points, and Malik Monk and Zach LaVine, who followed close behind with 24 and 23 respectively. The rookie did most of his damage in the paint; the veterans did their work from beyond the arc, each hitting five triples. And although their offensive contributions were distributed across the night, it was in the final period when the trio carried them to their peak.
Another solid night for Darius Acuff Jr. as the fourth teenager in NBA history with 20-5-5 in three straight games, joining Cooper Flagg, Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
👑 Darius Acuff Jr.: 25 PTS, 6 AST, 5 REB https://t.co/d57JXb597g
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) November 3, 2026
And it was in him that, with 29 points between the three, they delivered the decisive blow and sealed a win that had been taking shape throughout the second half. The murmurs and uneasy glances at the American Airlines Center had been brewing for some time, but it was in the final quarter when the margin rose first to double digits, then to 15 points, and finally to 19. It was done.
And it was done not only by the bursts of scoring talent exhibited on one end of the floor, but also by the great work done on the other. Because, although it is true that Kyrie Irving wasn’t there to facilitate things or take the reins if the situation demanded, the Kings achieved something that had been impossible for the league’s best teams.
In development
