League Pass Matchup of the Night: Dallas Mavericks vs. Sacramento Kings (8:30 ET)

Before the game begins, here are five key things to keep in mind:

Dallas coping without Luka Dončić: The fallout from the Dončić trade was one of the most scrutinized in NBA history, but this team still believes they are true contenders. What fans need to see is the return of all the big men, with Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II all injured. Davis was the key piece of that Dončić trade, and there’s some thought that he could be ready to return by the end of the month. Dallas is keeping its head above water and is 5-4 over its last nine games.Zach LaVine’s breakout game: LaVine has struggled with his shot since being traded to Sacramento, but that all ended when he went off last Monday. Despite sitting most of the fourth quarter, LaVine had 42 points on 16-for-19 shooting (including 8-for-9 from 3-point range) in a 130-88 win against the Charlotte Hornets. Fans have been waiting to see that, and it could be the start of something special for the new Sacramento star. They need him to continue that sharpshooting because Domantas Sabonis injured his hamstring in the Kings’ most recent victory on Saturday over the Houston Rockets.Kyrie Irving taking over in Dallas: Irving knew he’d have to take over when Dončić was traded, but he didn’t expect so much responsibility with Davis out, too. Irving has done everything they could ask, averaging 30.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.6 steals in his last seven games.OT thrills in last matchup: These teams played in Dallas on February 10, with Sacramento prevailing in overtime, 129-128. There were 17 ties and 28 lead changes in that epic battle, with the Kings overcoming a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter. DeMar DeRozan led Sacramento with 42 points and seven rebounds while hitting a game-winning mid-range shot with 2.1 seconds remaining in OT. Irving led Dallas with 30 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists.Impact on West standings: A large group of teams hope to avoid the SoFi Play-In Tournament, and these are two of them. While Sacramento sits eighth and Dallas sits 10th in the West, these teams have the same winning percentage. Both teams are only one game behind the team in sixth place. They’ll have to battle the LA Clippers, Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves to determine those No. 6-10 seeds.