Mavs-Kings preview: Will Luka, Kyrie begin their partnership?

SACRAMENTO – The NBA’s newest dynamic duo hopes to debut Friday night for the Mavericks.

Technically, Luka Dončić is listed as questionable for the first of two games against the Sacramento Kings. He’s missed the first three games of this trip with a right heel contusion.

But if there are not any pregame setbacks, it seems like the superstar point guard has a chance to get on the court for the first time with Kyrie Irving.

The new Maverick’s debut on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers produced a dazzling 110-104 victory and gave the Mavericks their second win of the season (against seven losses) in games Luka has missed.

These, however, are not your grandpa’s Kings. They are the third seed in the Western Conference and after years of floundering, they have found a really good mix of players built around Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox.

But the Mavericks are more interested in what they have going on, particularly after Irving fit so seamlessly with his new teammates against the Clippers.

Turns out there’s a reason, he said.

“I’m a coach’s son,” Irving said. “My dad was my coach for four years before I went to the AAU circuit. He taught me about the nuances of the game and playing with other special talents and how much respect you garner when you just go out and really make it look easy with guys you barely know.

“Putting the ball in the hoop and getting defensive stops are the simple ingredients we focus on. Everything else will take care of itself.”

Well, he barely knows Dončić, but for some reason, that doesn’t seem to be much of a concern heading into this back-to-back, baseball-like set of games.

Here’s what else you need to know about the Mavericks’ visit to Sacramento Friday:

• The Kings traded for Sabonis at last year’s trade deadline and gave up a rising All-Star in Tyrese Haliburton. But the return has been equally good. Sabonis is averaging 18.7 points, 12.2 rebounds and 7 assists while shooting 61 percent from the field. They are led in scoring by Fox, who has put up 24.2 points per game and remains one of the fastest players in the NBA when he’s got the ball in his hands.
• Former Maverick Harrison Barnes has become a fixture in Sacramento and has started all 54 games this season, averaging 15.1 points and shooting better than 38 percent from three-point land.
• The Kings have the No. 1 scoring offense in the NBA at a shade over 119 points per game. They are not great defensively, however, giving up better than 49 percent shooting to opponents. That should set this game up to be an entertaining shootout.
• Irving was asked what the best part of his first Maverick game was and this is what he had to say: “Rising in the a.m. and throwing on a Mavericks’ T-shirt before I go to shootaround, just seeing all the Mavericks’ gear in my room. You never think in your career you’ll be playing in the Western Conference. It can be awkward. But I just dove straight in.”
• The Mavericks have gotten good production during Luka’s absence from Jaden Hardy, who has added an element of quickness to the Mavericks that they haven’t always had, and Theo Pinson, who had nine points in 15 minutes against the Clips.

DALLAS MAVERICKS (30-26) at SACRAMENTO KINGS (31-23)

• When: 9 p.m. Friday.
• Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento.
• TV: Bally’s Sports Southwest.
• Radio:1 FM, 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish).

Twitter: @ESefko