Mavericks Keep Play in Hopes Alive With a Big Win Over Sacramento

• The Dallas Mavericks play-in hopes are alive
• Kyrie Irving's spectacular 4th quarter performance lifted them past the Sacramento Kings
• They won 123-119, but their play-in hopes are out of their hands as the 2022/23 season draws to a close

Kyrie Irving's incredible 4th quarter display helped the Dallas Mavericks keep their play-in hopes alive after a dreadful run.

Irving scored 19 fourth-quarter points to help the Mavericks erase an 11-point halftime deficit to beat the Sacramento Kings 123-119

The 31-year-old scored 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the floor in the fourth quarter to end a poor run of seven defeats in their previous eight games and 10 in their last 13.

He finished with 31 points, but dazzled fans with superb plays in the fourth period. He sank a transition pull-up 3-pointer with just over three minutes left to extend Mavericks' lead to five points, before draining a corner three, one minute later, to send the American Airlines Center into a frenzy.

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Luka Doncic added 29 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists, Tim Hardaway Jr. 24, and Christian Wood scored 14, per Dallas News.

The Kings have secured a playoff spot for the first time in 16 years and were looking to spoil Mavericks' quest.

Domantas Sabonis finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists while De’Aaron Fox posted 28 points.

Mavericks play-in situation

Jason Kidd's team are 11th in the West with a 38-42 record, the same as Oklahoma City Thunder, who own the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Therefore, their play-in hopes are not in their hands. They will make it if they win their remaining two games and the Thunder goes 1-1 or 0-2, or if they win one and the Thunder lose both.

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Kidd understands where his team stands.

“We all understand the situation is. We need a little help, but we have to take care of our business, and this was part of that process. We needed to win this game. There wasn’t room for error. We couldn’t lose this and hope that Oklahoma City loses two games.”

Still, the Mavs will need a miracle in the remaining days of the 2022/23 regular season.

Irving highest scoring games

Sports Brief also reported on Irving's highest-scoring games as he turned 31.

He has produced some historic moments, including in the 2016 NBA Finals. He is regarded as one of the best guards of all time due to some of his unstoppable moves.

Irving recently scored a career-high 60 points for the Nets against the Magic.