This was not the night of Kristaps Porzingis.
Porzingis shot 3-on-14 from the ground and faced Kings striker Moe Harkless in the Mavericks ’loss Sunday at 121-107.
With Sacramento leading Dallas 71-54 in the third quarter, Harkless and Porzingis exchanged words before going to die. Porzingis then pushed a smiling Harkless. Both players have been assessed for technical fouls.
It was an ugly loss for the Mavericks, who are struggling to get out of the play-off part of the postseason. Dallas is the seventh seed, two games behind the Blazers, with the top six teams in each conference securing the playoff position. The Kings had lost nine straight games before Sunday night’s stunning defeat.
Like Porzingis, Harkless spent time with the Knicks. It was acquired by the Clippers within the deadline of last season by the Clippers as part of the Marcus Morris deal.