At halftime, the Mavericks held a solid 15-point lead, 62-47, but the Kings had a surprise in store for the third quarter. Despite Dirk Nowitzki's dominant first half, the Kings came out with a completely unconventional lineup, leaving Coach Carlisle perplexed. It wasn't the usual Jokic-Mozgov twin towers. Instead, Coach Malone sent out a small-ball lineup of Jokic, LaVine, Bojan, Ray, and Ben, with only one big man on the court.
"What are they planning?" Carlisle muttered, puzzled by the unusual setup. Soon enough, he had his answer. The Kings left their interior wide open, with the four guards constantly moving around the three-point line, relying on Jokic's pick-and-rolls to create open looks. It didn't take long before LaVine found Ben wide open on the outside. Without hesitation, Ben drained a three-pointer. Swish!
On the very next possession, the Kings' defense held strong. When Jokic grabbed the rebound, his teammates were already sprinting down the court. He quickly passed to LaVine at halfcourt, who then dished the ball to a fast-running Ray. Ray spotted Bojan wide open in the corner, passed it quickly, and swish! Another three-pointer.
The Kings' bench had just gone on a 6-0 run in less than a minute, and Carlisle was stunned. "Is this… the Moneyball tactic?" he muttered, recognizing the strategy. The Kings were playing a fast-paced, three-point-heavy game, almost entirely abandoning the inside. It was reminiscent of D'Antoni's system but even more radical.
This tactical adjustment came from none other than Kings' GM, Jake. During halftime, he had suggested this high-risk, high-reward strategy to Coach Malone, who agreed to give it a shot. The plan was to capitalize on the three-point shooting boost card Allen had up his sleeve—perfect for this style of play.
The start of the third quarter was a barrage of three-pointers. CJ, LaVine, and Ben all hit deep shots. CJ, having made his third three-pointer of the quarter, raised his hand in celebration, forming a "3" gesture. The Kings had erased the Mavericks' lead in just a few minutes and surged ahead. The Mavericks, stunned and unable to respond to the constant three-point shooting, began subbing in their starters, but even with their top players, they couldn't keep up.
Carlisle could only watch in frustration as his aging lineup struggled to chase the much younger Kings around the perimeter. Monta Ellis, the Mavericks' key perimeter player, was visibly exhausted, bent over and gasping for air, while CJ kept running tirelessly.
Finally, after another missed three-pointer by LaVine, Carlisle sighed in relief. "Finally, they missed," he muttered. But the Kings' relentless attack wasn't finished yet.
By the time the third quarter ended, the Kings had completely turned the game around. They led 97-92, outscoring the Mavericks by 20 points in the quarter and turning a 15-point deficit into a five-point advantage.
In the studio, Charles Barkley sat in disbelief, rubbing his bald head. "This is insane! The Kings are shooting lights out, and nobody can stop them."
Reggie Miller, one of the greatest shooters in NBA history, nodded in agreement. "The Kings have been full of surprises this season. They've got so many weapons—whether it's Cousins, Mozgov, or Jokic inside, or the shooters like CJ, Ben, and LaVine outside. Coach Malone has a deep bag of tactics he can pull from, and tonight, they've pulled off something extraordinary."
Miller continued, "Whether it's dominating inside with the twin towers like they did against the Clippers or raining threes like tonight, the Kings are showing they can adjust to any team. Coach Malone is like a magician, always surprising us with new tricks."
"This Kings team is terrifying," said one of the commentators. "And they're still carrying Rudy Gay's toxic contract this year. Who would've thought they'd be this strong before the season started?"
As the commentators marveled, Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle was gritting his teeth on the sidelines. "We can't let them keep playing like this. Dirk, you and Chandler are going in to cut this lead. Ellis, take a breather."
Ellis nodded, still catching his breath on the bench. He needed a break to gear up for the final push. Meanwhile, Nowitzki, who had been resting the entire third quarter, slowly made his way back onto the court, stretching his shoulders. Coach Malone of the Kings immediately felt a surge of concern. No one could afford to underestimate Dirk, even at nearly 40 years old. His skillset remained one of the most dangerous in the game.
On his first possession back, Nowitzki attempted a post-up shot but found himself tightly guarded by Cousins. Dirk's shot came out awkward and missed, with Cousins grabbing the rebound and sending it to CJ to lead a slow advance up the court. With Cousins and Mozgov both on the floor for the fourth quarter, the Kings had to abandon their run-and-gun strategy and return to a more methodical, half-court game. CJ orchestrated the offense, deliberately slowing down the tempo, just as both Malone and Carlisle wanted. For Malone, it was about protecting their lead; for Carlisle, it was about creating a less chaotic environment for Nowitzki.
The Kings passed the ball around, finally finding Cousins in the post. He executed a quick move and dropped in a hook shot, scoring two points. As Cousins jogged back on defense, feeling good about his play, he hadn't noticed the determined gaze from Dirk. Nowitzki, calm on the outside, was quietly fired up. Inspired by Cousins' performance, Dirk dug deep, and what followed was a masterclass.
First, Nowitzki received the ball in the post and knocked down his signature one-legged fadeaway jumper. On the next possession, he used his immaculate footwork to score again in the paint. Just like that, the Kings' lead shrank to three points. Malone, watching Nowitzki dominate, began to worry. If Dirk heated up, the Kings could be in serious trouble.
Malone acted swiftly, calling for Cousins to sub out and sending Jokic in. "Mozgov, you handle Nowitzki. Jokic, help with the weak-side defense." This was a bold move, taking out their top scorer in Cousins, but Malone needed Jokic's versatility to stop Dirk. Cousins, frustrated, made his way to the bench, realizing Nowitzki had baited him into trying to play one-on-one, disrupting the Kings' flow. Malone had seen through the trap and pulled Cousins out before it was too late, but Nowitzki had already made his mark.
With Jokic and Mozgov doubling down on Nowitzki, the Kings adjusted their defense. Meanwhile, LaVine had locked onto Ellis, running like a madman on defense. LaVine, who had been schooled by some of the league's best perimeter players, seemed to have unlocked a new level, playing a high-energy, 3-and-D style. Watching from the sidelines, Kings' GM Jake winced. "This kid's got All-Star potential. I can't let him get stuck as a 3-and-D player. I need to work with him more after this."
On the court, despite Jokic and Mozgov's combined efforts, they struggled to contain Dirk. The Mavericks clawed their way back, erasing the Kings' lead by the half of the fourth quarter. Dallas was up 108:104, largely thanks to Nowitzki, who had already put up 30 points.
The Kings, who had relied on their three-point barrage earlier, now found themselves facing a vintage Nowitzki performance, one that could very well decide the game.