Mavericks fans ejected for ‘Fire Nico’ sign while Kings’ DeMar DeRozan stars in wild win
Kings star DeMar DeRozan delivered a signature moment in an overtime thriller against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night, but some fans in a sellout crowd of 19,726 at American Airlines Center didn’t get to see it.
DeRozan drove left, stepped through a double-team and buried a 14-foot baseline floater with 2.1 seconds remaining to give the Kings a 129-128 victory, adding to the frustration fans are feeling in Dallas.
“I was just trying to be patient more than anything, just trying to find an opening,” DeRozan said. “I knew they were going to double and I knew I was going to find an opening one way or another. Someone was going to make a mistake, so I just tried to stay poised.”
Many feel the Mavericks made a mistake on Feb. 1 when general manager Nico Harrison traded 25-year-old Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for 31-year-old Anthony Davis. A number of fans were ejected as security converged on spectators who chanted or held up signs saying “FIRE NICO.”
In a statement released to reporters, the Mavericks cited language in the NBA Code of Conduct prohibiting “clothing, garments or signs displaying explicit language, profanity or derogatory characterization towards any person(s).”
The crowd booed as fans were escorted out of the arena, drawing attention away from the floor during a game that featured 17 ties and 28 lead changes.
DeRozan turned in a masterful performance for the Kings (27-26), scoring a season-high 42 points while going 15 of 22 from the field, 4 of 6 from 3-point range and 8 of 8 at the free-throw line.
“When you see his demeanor, it’s how he plays,” interim Kings coach Doug Christie said. “He’s calm. He’s relaxed. He’s under control.”
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Zach LaVine and Malik Monk added 17 points apiece for Sacramento. Domantas Sabonis recorded his league-leading 47th double-double of the season with 16 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists while Jonas Valanciunas came off the bench to post 13 points and eight rebounds.
Kyrie Irving had 30 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the Mavericks (28-26), who were coming off back-to-back wins over the Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets.
The Kings caught the Mavericks shorthanded and undersized with Davis and other key rotation players out due to injuries. Davis suffered a left adductor strain in his Mavericks debut Saturday after coming to Dallas in a stunning trade that sent Doncic to the Lakers.
Davis, a 6-foot-11 power forward/center, is reportedly expected to miss multiple weeks, possibly a month or more pending further discussion of treatment options. The Mavericks are also dealing with a number of other injuries.
Dereck Lively II, a 7-1 center, is out with a right ankle stress fracture. In addition, 6-5 forward Caleb Martin (right hip strain), 6-10 center Dwight Powell (right hip strain) and 6-6 forward P.J. Washington (right ankle sprain) missed Monday’s game.
Dallas’ injury woes only worsened when 6-10 center Daniel Gafford left the game with a right knee sprain early in the second quarter, leaving Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Kessler Edwards — both listed at 6-7 — as the tallest players on the floor for the Mavericks.
The Kings used a huge size advantage, and at one point a supersized lineup featuring Sabonis and Valanciunas, to outrebound the injury depleted Mavericks 50-33.
“I’m glad it worked out,” Sabonis said. “Coach just went with it. I think we were down like eight points and we got back into the game, so I’m happy it worked and we ended up getting the win.”
The Kings trailed 103-91 with 8:23 remaining. They closed the gap quickly with Sabonis and Valanciunas on the floor together for the first time since Valanciunas came to Sacramento in a trade with the Washington Wizards.
The Kings cut the deficit to six when Sabonis and Valanciunas combined for three offensive rebounds on a single possession, leading to a fourth-chance putback by Sabonis. They sent the game to overtime after DeRozan, who scored 15 points in the fourth quarter, made a fadeaway jumper with 3.7 seconds to go in regulation.
“That was amazing to be a part of and to watch,” Sabonis said. “I’m just happy he’s on our team.”
This story was originally published February 11, 2025 at 9:16 AM.
